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As it happened: Besiktas v Liverpool, Europa League

Liverpool return to the scene of their Champions League win ten years on.

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Hello and welcome to our liveblog of Besiktas v Liverpool.

The Reds hold a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg and Brendan Rodgers has gone with a strong team to ensure they progress.

And here is the Besiktas side.

 

Liverpool fans will have fantastic memories of the last time their side visited this stadium in Istanbul.

ToggeroProduction / YouTube

If you are thinking of having a bet, Liverpool are 6/4, Besiktas are 9/5 and the draw is 23/10.

We are off in Istanbul!

Balotelli has just been fouled coming out of defence and Liverpool have an early free.

Now Balotelli gets whistled at the other end fighting for a ball.

No surprise that the Turkish crowd is making a lot of noise. The atmosphere isn’t like that night in ’05 but it’s still pretty good.

We’ve had no action so far accept fouls by/on Balotelli. This can only end one way, surely?

Ten minutes in and we are still waiting for our first chance. Liverpool were already 1-0 down at this stage in 2005…

Balotelli has just been booked after his third foul. It was a reckless challenge on the touchline and the free is about 30 yards out.

Opare gets the ball in a good position on the left wing but his in-swinging cross is poor and drifts harmlessly wide.

An ex-Liverpool player weighs in on Balotelli’s start.

First chance to the home side as Demba Ba almost turns in a low cross but Martin Skrtel slides in to clear.

After a good run by Moreno down the left wing the ball breaks to Sterling on the edge of the box. Besiktas keeper Gonen dives to beat the ball away.

Moreno lobs a long pass to Sturridge, who turns his marker well before being crowded out by three defenders outside the box.

Balotelli plays Sterling in nicely in the box but the winger takes too long on the ball and his weak cross is cleared.

Sturridge gets on the ball outside the box again but takes too much out of it and Besiktas clear. Liverpool are starting to get on top now.

Weak enough caption but you could definitely have some fun with this.

Sterling almost turns the ball home after a Sturridge cross but defender Uysal deflects the ball wide.

Skrtel makes good contact with the ball from the corner but heads over from eight yards out.

30 minutes gone and Liverpool have had the two best chances, with both falling to Sterling. They have only been opened up once and Skrtel dealt with the danger well.

Balotelli plays Sturridge through on the right but the striker turns inside and then back outside before having his shot saved. That should have been 1-0.

Sturridge finds an overlapping Moreno on the left side of the box but the defender’s shot is well held.

Liverpool have a free kick in the right corner after a foul on Sturridge. Balotelli will take it.

It was a good cross by Balotelli but Liverpool are penalised for a foul.

Sosa cuts in on the left past the Liverpool defence but Mignolet gets a strong fist to the shot and the visitors clear.

Not from this match but this shot from Hulk really is incredibly bad.

Twitter @bola24pt / Vine

HT Besiktas 0-0 Liverpool

The visitors have had three great chances but it’s still scoreless. As it stands Liverpool will progress 1-0 on aggregate.

Liverpool fans won’t like this.

Oh no… Soldado just can’t help being Soldado.

Footvid / Vine

Mark Lawrenson is getting a lot of stick on Twitter for his performance tonight. Has he really been that bad?

We are off in the second half!

Besiktas have started the half brightly, pressing high up the pitch. Their final ball has still been poor though and they’ve floated two crosses over the bar.

Balotelli commits another foul as he hauls down a defender. The ref doesn’t take any action but the striker is on thin ice.

Sosa takes a shot from just outside the box on the left hand side but Mignolet holds onto it.

Allen gets his head to a corner but the Besiktas keeper claims it comfortably.

Besiktas have had a lot of possession in the second half but Liverpool’s defence is still denying them any real chances.

Spurs have just gone 1-0 down in Fiorentina so they need one goal to force extra time and two to go through.

Balotelli gets kicked again and Liverpool have a free on halfway.

Toure makes a brilliant interception as Tore was lurking behind him on the left wing. If the Liverpool defender missed that there would have been a great chance for Besiktas.

It looked like Sterling handled in the Liverpool box as he was clearing the ball. Would have been a harsh enough call but could easily have been given.

Besiktas are piling pressure on now but Liverpool defenders keep throwing themselves in front of shots. Tore is the latest to go close as he whistles a shot just past the post.

Goal! Besiktas 1-0 Liverpool

Substitute Tolgay Ali Arslan blasts the ball from the edge of the box into the top left hand corner.

Now to do my George Hamilton impression – ‘As it stands we are heading to extra time’.

Besiktas deserved that goal as they have been well on top all half. Now to see if Liverpool can respond. The home side have a corner at the moment though.

Liverpool clear the corner and look to launch their first attack in an age.

Liverpool will regret those three missed chances in the first half when they were in control. Adam Lallana has just come on for Balotelli.

Liverpool having their first spell of possession all half but the home side are crowding them out when they go on the attack.

Lallana and Sturridge almost created an opening in the box but a last-ditch tackle steals the ball.

Three minutes added on for a team to prevent extra time.

The home side have a corner after a lovely run from Arslan.

Demba Ba off the bar! The ball bounced in the box from the corner and it looked certain that the striker would send his side through.

FT Besiktas 1-0 Liverpool

It finishes 1-0 on the night and 1-1 on aggregate so we are set for another 30 minutes at least.

We are off in extra time!

Sterling whips in a cross from the left but the Besiktas keeper grabs it easily.

Opare cuts through the Liverpool midfield but drags his shot to the left of Mignolet and wide.

Not a whole lot of action in this half so far. We might be on for penalties.

Some slick passing by the Besiktas midfield frees Ba on the right but the flag goes up for offside.

A minute later the exact same thing occurs but Ba is onside this time. However Mignolet makes the save and Skrtel blasts the ball clear.

Emre Can received some treatment but is back on. Rodgers can use one more substitute so might take him off as a precaution.

HT Besiktas 1-0 Liverpool (1-1)

No goals in the first 15 minute period and now we are just a quarter of an hour away from penalties.

Rickie Lambert is on for Daniel Sturridge.

Liverpool have a free kick right on the edge of the box. A very good chance for the visitors to snatch an away goal.

The ball is cleared out to Lovren on the left but the defender’s cross is high and wide.

Corner for Besiktas.

Nothing comes of it but the home side have another corner.

Liverpool clear it again and try to break but the home side win it back. It looks like both sides have subconsciously settled for penalties.

Ba shoots high and wide from a good position, confirming my theory.

Sterling gets fouled 30 yards out on the left wing and Liverpool will have a free kick.

But Can’s delivery is awful and is easily cleared.

Into the final minute now and Liverpool have a throw in beside the Besiktas box.

FT Besiktas 1-0 Liverpool (1-1)

No goals in extra time and we are going to a penalty shootout.

Besiktas 0-0 Liverpool

I will now update the score as each penalty is converted in case there is some confusion.

Demba Ba to go first.

Besiktas 1-0 Liverpool

Ba sends Mignolet the wrong way.

Lambert to go first for Liverpool.

Besiktas 1-1 Liverpool

Lambert hammers it to the net.

Besiktas 2-1 Liverpool

Tore puts it in the top corner.

Lallana is up next.

Besiktas 2-2 Liverpool

Lallana sends the ball into the bottom corner.

Besiktas 3-2 Liverpool

Kavlak puts it in the roof of the net.

Besiktas 3-3 Liverpool

Can tucks the ball away calmly in the bottom corner.

Besiktas 4-3 Liverpool

Hutchinson powers the ball into the top corner.

Besiktas 4-4 Liverpool

Allen sends the keeper the wrong way to level it up.

Besiktas 5-4 Liverpool

The goalscorer Arslan buries it low and hard in the corner. Liverpool must score to stay in it.

Besiktas 5-4 Liverpool

Lovren blazes it over and Liverpool are out!

That’s all for our liveblog this evening. Disappointing for Liverpool fans as ten years on they lose a penalty shootout in Istanbul.

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