A goal from Sadio Mané in the last half hour of the match decided the Aston Villa-Liverpool for those of Jurgen Klopp (1-2), who match Manchester City on points and cling to a ray of hope.
AST
LIV
Aston-Villa
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; McGinn, Nakamba (Chukwuemeka 61′), Luiz; Coutinho (Buendía, 70′), Ings, Watkins (Traoré, 81′).
Liverpool
Allison; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Keita, Fabinho (Henderson, 30′), Jones (Thiago, 62′); Diaz (Salah, 72′), Mané, Diogo Jota.
goals
1-0 M. 3 Luis. 1-1 M. 6 Matip. 1-2 M. 65 Mane.
Aston Villa, who had nothing at stake, took the lead after three minutes at Villa Park, after a commotion in the area in a center of Lucas Digne who finished off the second Douglas Luiz.
The Brazilian’s goal made Liverpool very nervous, however, they responded just over a minute later. Another mess in the area, this time due to a foul by Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Joel Matip, a pass from Virgil Van Dijk, made it 1-1.
Liverpool breathed, to which, however, the result was not worth it. The tie, if final, would allow City, with two wins, to close the Premier League this weekend. A hammer blow that the ‘Pool’ did not want to assume, which was launched for the victory and to lock up Gerrard’s men.
The ‘Reds’ had them: a header from Mané deflected, a shot by Curtis Jones for the stretch of Emi Martínez and a foul by Alexander-Arnold that brushed the top corner, but the ball did not go in and Klopp had to make changes
The German manager, who booked several players with Saturday’s FA Cup final in mind, turned to Thiago Alcántara in the second half and the team did not take two minutes to score after the Spaniard’s departure. Recovery of Thiago in the middle, opening for Díaz, he faced and put a center at medium height that Mané directed the net with his head.
1-2, but Liverpool suffered to close the door. Danny Ings, a former Liverpool player, stood up twice in front of Alisson, but was unable to equalize – he even had a goal disallowed for offside – and the ‘Reds’ left Villa Park alive. The worst news was the loss of Fabinho, who left with a hamstring injury half an hour into the match.