Good afternoon everyone. Pretty quiet day for sport, isn’t it? While rugby may dominate in some quarters, it is a big FA Cup weekend too. And both of these teams will look to join West Brom, Blackburn and Reading in the last eight.

Let’s get to the team news, shall we?

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Kelly, Dann, Hangeland, Souare, Bolasie, Ledley, Ward, Gayle, Chamakh, Campbell.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Skrtel, Can, Sakho, Allen, Henderson, Moreno, Markovic, Coutinho, Lallana, Sturridge.

Palace have a few players back – including Scott Dann, Yannick Bolasie, Dwight Gayle and Fraizer Campbell while Pape Souare makes his debut. That’s plenty of firepower in the Eagles’ starting XI.

For Liverpool the big news is that Mario Balotelli isn’t included from the start, despite his game-winner against Spurs midweek. Instead, Adam Lallana is back in the team and joined by Joe Allen. Daniel Sturridge continues to lead the line.

You need to go back to 14th December for the last time Liverpool lost a game. The Spurs result is sure to have ensured confidence is really high for this clash and with so many more heavyweights falling at earlier stages of the tournament, Rodgers will know his side have a real chance of Cup glory this year.

Just what we want to hear! Here’s hoping for some good, old-fashioned Cup football today – thrills, spills, lots of goals.

Any Liverpool fans think Balotelli is deserving of a start? Or has Rodgers done the right thing leaving him on the bench?

Oh and that reminds me. Here are the subs for both teams:

Palace bench: Mariappa, Guedioura, Zaha, Hennessey, Murray, Delaney, Puncheon.

Liverpool bench: Johnson, Lovren, Lambert, Manquillo, Borini, Balotelli, Ward

Bolasie, Gayle and Campbell can trouble the majority of defences. Have enjoyed watching Gayle’s renaissance under Pardew. Bolasie v Moreno should be an interesting dual…Almost underway, folks.

AND WE’RE OFF! 

Markovic gives away a cheap pass and Chamakh tries to get turned. He’s brought down by Henderson and Palace have a free kick…Gayle’s delivery is decent but it drops kindly for Mignolet who easily catches.

Markovic pops up in acres of space on the right side. He knocks in a solid cross but Sturridge can’t get his body right and skews the shot wide.

What a terrific atmosphere inside Selhurst Park. Pitch looks pretty good. Both teams giving the ball away easily. This could be a decent tie.

Michael Owen’s talking about sand-based pitches. Oh dear.

A cute link-up between Markovic and Sturridge. The latter plays a neat back-heel and the ball is almost pushed forward for Lallana but Palace clear.

CLOSE! Decent chance. Gayle is in lots of space down the left side and races towards the area. He tries to send it across the 6-yard area but Skrtel gets across and puts it out for a corner. From the delivery, Mignolet comes a long way and punches clear.

Can goes rampaging forward but Lallana loses possession and the pass is immediately played to Gayle on the left side. He charges down the line and manages to get a cross in but easy for Mignolet at his near post. Already, Gayle is the out ball and Liverpool need to to watch affording him so much space.

GOAL! Campbell! Incredible. A simple ball over the top, Skrtel can’t deal with it and Chamakh’s header from close range is blocked by Mignolet. There’s Campbell to follow up and sweep to the empty net. Out of nothing. Big mistake from the centre-back.

Here’s the goal. It was Gayle, not Chamakh who made the run and had the header. Skrtel just doesn’t read the run, does he?

VERY CLOSE! What a stop by Speroni! Nice touches in the area as Henderson taps it inside to the on-rushing Lallana who cracks it first time towards the near post. The keeper reads it superbly and pushes it out for a corner. Almost point-blank range, really.

CLOSE! Liverpool ping in a cross from the right side and it breaks for Coutinho. His long-range effort is brilliantly blocked by Dann and on the rebound, Ward gets down to smother it. Coutinho wants to get it back from him but the midfielder has swallowed it up on the ground. Some half-hearted appeals for a handball but he seems to just get his body between Coutinho and the ball and does well.

Gayle pops up in the area and jinks around a challenge, makes a yard and Skrtel just about manages to shut him down and force it out for a corner. He’s looked dangerous every time he’s got on the ball so far.

Palace caused some problems from a corner a few moments ago. But Joe Allen was picking up Brede Hangelaand. That’s immensely strange – The centre-back towering over the smallest man on the pitch.

YELLOW CARD! Henderson has just gone in the book after a nibble at Gayle. He’s furious and on the replay you can see why. Minimal contact.

PENALTY CLAIM! Souare tangles with Sturridge and gets a touch on the ball as it’s landing at the striker’s feet. But he seems to foul him as the ball breaks free and Sturridge is about to pull the trigger. But nothing is given and that’s a let-off for Palace. Minimal contact but you could see what the debutant was trying to do…

And moments before, Joe Allen cracked a decent volley from distance that flew narrowly wide of Speroni’s near post. Much better from Liverpool but they’re still pretty vulnerable to the movement of Gayle and co.

Coutinho pops up again to drive a shot towards goal. It’s travelling but Speroni deals with it and gets the gloves behind it.

I’m old enough to remember when Gazza had one of the first during his Lazio days. Haven’t changed much down through the years.

Markovic dribbles right across the 18-yard line and tries to follow up an impressive run with a finish to match. But…he can’t and it’s over the top.

VERY CLOSE! Oh. Palace probably should be 2-0 in front here. As has been the case throughout the first half, Bolasie’s pass isn’t dealt with by Skrtel and Gayle races into the left channel. Mignolet races off his line and spreads himself as Gayle tries to caress it to the far corner. It’s a great save and Liverpool breathe a sigh of relief.

AND THAT’S HALF-TIME!

We predicted a good Cup tie and that’s what we’ve got. Liverpool have been vulnerable at the back from the word go as Gayle has found plenty of space on the left. Little surprise that he was involved in the Palace goal, making the run in behind Skrtel, who lost him and could only glance his header backwards. It fell perfectly for Gayle, whose shot was well blocked by Mignolet but Campbell arrived bang on cue to knock it home.

But to their credit, Liverpool haven’t exactly played badly here. They’ve created some half-chances and probably should’ve had a penalty when Sturridge was brought down. Nicely poised and the second half promises much.

That Speroni stop from Lallana was excellent – certainly Liverpool’s best chance of the opening period.

SUBSTITUTIONS! Puncheon (on) – Chamakh (off) & Balotelli (on) – Markovic (off)  

AND WE’RE BACK! 

And immediately, Bolasie tees it up for Puncheon who finds himself in space. Winds up the shot but never gets behind it properly and it’s well wide. Decent chance that.

GOAL! Sturridge! Henderson clips in a lovely ball to the far post for Sturridge and he allows it to drop before driving the left-foot volley inside Speroni’s near post.

CLOSE! Mignolet doesn’t inspire much confidence as the corner comes in, missing a couple of punches. It drops to Gayle who drives a shot towards the bottom corner but the keeper gets there to tip it behind.

Delightful little pass from Henderson and that’s a great finish too…

Moreno was waiting for this moment for a long time. And he’s trying SO hard. But he’s still rubbish.

GOAL! Lallana! Balotelli’s thumping free-kick is beaten away by Speroni but Lallana is following up immediately and steers it to the net. A turnaround at Selhurst Park.

SUBSTITUTION! Guediora (on) – Kelly (off)

Palace need to come up with a quick riposte as Liverpool respond brilliantly at the start of this half.

Great following up by Lallana as Balotelli contributes once again. If they can hold out here, Liverpool’s season certainly heading in the right direction.

Palace have camped themselves in Liverpool’s final third here. And there’s been a couple of nervy moments back there for the guests. They’re holding on – just about.

Palace don’t have many aces on the bench. If they are to find a way back into this, it’ll be the big names currently on the pitch who’ll have to dig deep.

SUBSTITUTION! Zaha (on) – Bolasie (off)

Bolasie has been quiet and I expected more. Still, he’s only recently back from ACON duty so he’s still probably a little weary. Zaha always flatters to deceive and very inconsistent.

YELLOW CARD! Emre Can has just gone in the book after a pull-back. Palace need to push and they’re trying to push things and have forced another corner…

Lambert is being prepared by Rodgers and I presume it will be Sturridge who’ll be replaced…

SUBSTITUTIONS! Lambert (on) – Sturridge (off) & Lovren (on) – Coutinho (off) 

Palace have struggled to get in behind Liverpool throughout this half and Gayle has been largely anonymous. Credit the visitors for tweaking things and tightening up. Palace haven’t had a decent chance in the second half and it’s been very professional from Rodgers’ side since the interval.

VERY CLOSE! Liverpool really should’ve grabbed a third here. Henderson breaks down the right side, gets to the by-line and looks up. He tries to tee up Balotelli but the attacker doesn’t exactly bust a gut to get on the end of it and the Palace defence gets it clear.

They had a brief spell of pressure after Lallana scored Liverpool’s second but since then, Palace have found it difficult to get out of their half. The visitors have squeezed the life out of proceedings and kept the ball very well. But Palace have been quite passive and allowed Liverpool to dictate things. Can they mount one more decent attack?

There are going to be 5 minutes of injury time! Not over just yet…

And Palace have a free-kick in a very dangerous position here…Can taking down Zaha and that could prove costly. Has to be a good delivery.

And that’s a waste from Dwight Gayle. Instead of clipping it into a crowded area, he tries to be the superhero and takes the shot on. He blazes over the top.

Palace are out on their feet here. They’ve been reduced to dropping to the ground and desperately seeking free-kicks. They’ve been out-witted in the second half BUT they have another free-kick here and what’s Skrtel doing?? Another great position…

AND THAT’S FULL-TIME! 

And that’s Liverpool into the quarter-finals. And how they’ll fancy their chances now. It was a potential banana-skin and despite not playing too badly in the opening period, they were behind after a defensive slip by Skrtel that was punished by Fraizer Campbell.

But, there were some slight tweaks made by Rodgers at the break, including bringing on another attacker (Balotelli) and changing formation. Sturridge equalised after a carefully-flighted ball from Henderson and less than ten minutes later, Balotelli’s blistering free-kick was only parried by Speroni and Lallana reacted quickest to steer it to the net.

Palace offered little after the break and their biggest threat – Dwight Gayle – was rendered anonymous. As Liverpool took control of the game, they kept the ball well and frustrated the home side who quickly ran out of ideas and energy.

Another solid win for the Merseysiders as their season gets brighter.

Thanks for staying with us this evening. More reaction on the site tonight.