Football: Anzhi agony for Liverpool in Moscow

Anzhi Makhachkala moves to the top of Europa League Group A as they confidently leapfrogg Liverpool with a 1-0 win.

PARIS: Anzhi Makhachkala moved to the top of Europa League Group A as they confidently leapfrogged Liverpool with a 1-0 win thanks to a lone Lacina Traore goal in freezing temperatures in Moscow.

Chances were few and far between in a lacklustre first-half in which neither side quite managed to gain the upper hand.

Cameroon international Samuel Eto had a chance to put Anzhi ahead towards the end of the first period as Yuri Zhirkov got forward and crossed from the left, but Eto’s first-time shot was tipped over at full-stretch by Liverpool goal-keeper Brad Jones. But Anzhi broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time through Traore.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2012.