Liverpool survive early scare as Luis Suarez hat-trick sinks Cardiff

March 22, 2014
This Is Anfield

Liverpool survived a first-half scare of going behind twice to cruise to a 6-3 victory at Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon, keeping them second in the Premier League.

CARDIFF, WALES - Saturday, March 22, 2014: Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge celebrates scoring the fith goal against Cardiff City with team-mate Luis Suarez during the Premiership match at the Cardiff City Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda) — Daniel Sturridge celebrates scoring the fith goal against Cardiff City with team-mate Luis Suarez during the Premiership match at the Cardiff City Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Cardiff City 3-6 Liverpool
Saturday, 22nd March 2014
Premier League
Cardiff City Stadium

Match Summary

Brendan Rodgers made one change to the starting XI that beat Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford last weekend, swapping Raheem Sterling for Philippe Coutinho.

The visitors were behind twice in the first half, conceding weakly to Jordon Mutch and Frazer Campbell. Luis Suarez and Martin Skrtel equalised twice to enter half-time with the game level.

A resurgent Liverpool came out for the second-half and when Skrtel got his second of the game, the game finally swung the Reds’ way.

Suarez got a second after superb play by Daniel Sturridge, back-heeling the ball under pressure to the Uruguayan, before Suarez turned provider for his strike partner for Liverpool’s fifth.

More sloppy defending let in Cardiff’s Mutch for a consolation goal late on, but Suarez still had time to bag his hat-trick, slotting home with ease deep into injury time.

CARDIFF, WALES - Saturday, March 22, 2014: Liverpool supporters' banner 'Make Us Dream' before the Premiership match against Cardiff City at the Cardiff City Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda) — Liverpool supporters’ banner ‘Make Us Dream’ before the Premier League match against Cardiff City at the Cardiff City Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool are beginning to cement their place in the league’s top three, moving three points ahead of fourth place Arsenal, who lost 6-0 at Chelsea earlier on Saturday.

Next up for the Reds is a rearranged game against Sunderland on Wednesday, 26th March at Anfield, before Tim Sherwood’s Tottenham travel to Merseyside on Sunday, 30 March.

Line-ups and Substitutions

Cardiff City: Marshall, Fabio, John (Daehli – 65′ ), Théophile-Catherine, Torres Ruiz, Caulke, Mutch, Medel, Bellamy (Jones – 70′ ), Campbell, Kim (Zaha – 65′ ).

Substitutes: Turner, Whittingham, Jones, Gunnarsson, Daehli, Lewis, Zaha.

LiverpoolL Mignolet, Johnson, Flanagan (Cissokho – 73′ ), Gerrard, Skrtel, Agger, Henderson, Coutinho (Sterling – 68′ ), Suarez, Sturridge (Sakho – 92′ ), Allen.

Substitutes: Jones, Iago Aspas, Moses, Sakho, Cissokho, Lucas, Sterling

Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Attendance: 28,018