Match Report: Wasteful Liverpool Handed Victory at Loftus Road
A drab game headed for a narrow Liverpool win came alive in the dying minutes as Queens Park Rangers and Liverpool shared 4 more goals in a dramatic finale at Loftus Road. A valiant fightback from the home side was not enough, however, as their centre-backs were the making of their own undoing with two own goals to hand the spoils to an otherwise misfiring Liverpool.
Again without the injured Daniel Sturridge, Brendan Rodgers' side lacked cutting edge in attack, with clear cut openings at a premium and Mario Balotelli continuing to struggle in front of goal. Rodgers insisted after the game that things would eventually "drop" for the Italian, but on this performance, the manager will again be hoping to have his other centre-forward back in action before long.
Balotelli has now had 30 shots in Premier League games since signing for Liverpool - the third most of all players this season, behind only Sergio Agüero (36) and Graziano Pellè (32). While those two players scored 6 goals between them yesterday and have 15 between them for the season, Balotelli once again fired a blank, now boasting the unwanted title of most shots of all goalless players in Europe's top 5 leagues. It was Balotelli's worst performance (5.97) in Liverpool colours.
But as Liverpool's attack laboured for a goal to break the deadlock, a previously staunch QPR defence eventually willingly obliged. As Glen Johnson broke free down the right, Balotelli, uninterested in the six-yard box, stared at the floor, frustrated at his own shortcomings. A ball came across the goal face towards the striker, who suddenly sprung into action, only for Richard Dunne to intercept and put through his own net in the 67th minute.
The score stayed at 1-0 for the next 20 minutes, and it looked as if Liverpool might hold on to a first clean sheet since in seven matches, but pressure built as QPR continued to look long into the opposition box and the away side couldn't deal with their direct approach. All game they had had success playing up to the physical presence of Bobby Zamora, who wrestled for possession with Dejan Lovren time and again and caused him some real problems.
But it was Zamora's replacement, Eduardo Vargas who did the damage, twice equalising for the home side, first from Charlie Austin's knock-down before Philippe Coutinho put Liverpool back in front and then from Leroy Fer's corner. The Chilean now has 2 Premier League goals from just 3 shots on target, and Harry Redknapp admitted afterwards that it would be "hard to leave him out" next week.
The QPR boss also bemoaned his inexperienced side's naivety in throwing numbers forward with the game poised at 2-2 and with a free-kick in enemy territory. Man of the match Fer made his only mistake of the game, having twice earlier hit the woodwork, and it was a costly one. His free-kick was under-hit and easily cleared, with Liverpool breaking upfield and Raheem Sterling crossing towards Balotelli, ready to tap in for his first Premier League goal in a Liverpool shirt, only for Steven Caulker to deny him with another QPR own goal.
That the Hoops' rating of 7.22 was so much better than Liverpool's 6.44 shows how unfortunate the home side were to come away with nothing. Balotelli was wasteful in front of goal but his midfielders were uncharacteristically wasteful in possession. QPR are starting to look doomed already, and Liverpool won't be able to rely being handed victory against better opposition.
What did you make of Liverpool's wastefulness at Loftus Road? Let us know in the comments below
