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Mike Egerton

'Liverpool's game intelligence - it was like watching children play': Carragher slams Reds collapse

Carragher critical of Alberto Moreno after 3-3 draw against Sevilla.

JAMIE CARRAGHER HAS hammered the naivety of the current Liverpool side – and in particular left-back Alberto Moreno – after they squandered a 3-0 lead against Sevilla on Tuesday.

Roberto Firmino scored twice in the first half, either side of a strike from Sadio Mano, to give the Reds what appeared to be an unassailable advantage in the Champions League group-stage clash.

Two quick strikes from Wissam Ben Yedder swung the game, however, with the comeback completed in stoppage time as Guido Pizarro pinched an unlikely point for the hosts.

“I’d like to swear when I see that second half,” a frustrated Carragher told Viasport.

“The big question going into this game was whether Liverpool’s defence could cope with the atmosphere of Sevilla. I felt before the game the answer would be no, but I didn’t think it would be as bad as this, especially in the second half.

I didn’t see Liverpool keeping a clean sheet but to be 3-0 up and to see how Liverpool gave the goals away and the actual game intelligence – it was like watching children play.

“At Sevilla, you have to quieten the crowd. Liverpool did that by scoring goals in the first half. In the second, Sevilla came flying out. The defence gave stupid free kicks away that lifted the crowd, lifted the players, got the referee giving yellow cards. Two of the goals come from set pieces.

“The other foul they gave away in the box from Alberto Moreno… it’s unbelievable to see a decision like that from a player at Champions League level.”

While Moreno has received praise for an improved run of form this term, Carragher still does not trust him completely.

He added: “He’s had a lot of credit this season, but he’s been at the club for three or four years, and I don’t think that a run of seven or eight games should cloud your opinion of him as a player.

He has got a lot better, but he still has those moments when he makes rash decisions. I don’t think that will ever go out of his game.

“It was a good decision by Klopp to bring James Milner on – because at that stage I thought Liverpool were going to lose the game. It goes back to the Moreno that we’ve seen for the last three or four years.”

Liverpool need a point at home against Spartak Moscow in their final group game to qualify for the last 16, but defeat could equally see them eliminated.

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