(Football news) Midway through the second half, Justin Kluivert of the Cherries cancelled out a close-range finish from Cody Gakpo just after the half-hour mark. However, Darwin Nunez, who came off the bench, scored an incredible match-winning goal 20 minutes from time to help Jurgen Klopp’s team secure their spot in the EFL Cup quarterfinals.
Dominik Szoboszlai joined Mohamed Salah and Gakpo in a new front three for Liverpool as Klopp made eight changes to the starting lineup from the start of the team’s 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Andoni Iraola made just three changes to the Bournemouth team that defeated Burnley 2-1 in the Premier League last weekend.
In the initial moments of the match, Liverpool lost possession due to a few careless passes into midfield, and Caoimhin Kelleher was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the difficult, windy, and rainy conditions of Storm Ciaran along the South Coast.
In fact, in the span of a few minutes, the Reds goalkeeper turned away Kluivert twice. Firstly, he stopped a shot at the near post, and then he parried a low-shot attempt and stopped the rebound from Dominic Solanke.
Subsequently, Ryan Christie attempted to equalize but missed the far post with a looping shot from the edge of the box after Salah had missed Liverpool’s opening attempt of the game.
Harvey Elliott had a good chance to break the deadlock just before the half-hour mark, but he was only able to send a meek shot down Cherries goalkeeper Ionut Radu’s neck from a central position about ten yards out.
But Liverpool did not let that wasted opportunity last for long, as less than five minutes later, Gakpo gave them the lead. It was the Dutchman’s second goal in as many EFL Cup games this year.
A Liverpool corner was originally cleared by Bournemouth, who then headed it to Elliott on the edge of the box. Radu parried Elliott’s strong, deflected shot toward goal, but Gakpo reacted quickest and slammed the ball home from a few yards out.
At the half, Salah and Szoboszlai both had a chance to cut Liverpool’s lead in half, but Kelleher turned away another long-range attempt from Christie to ensure that the visitors had a slim lead at the break.
Following the interval, Bournemouth showed encouraging signs of determination and had a confident period of possession within Liverpool’s half, with Alex Scott and Solanke from the Cherries causing particular havoc.
Joe Gomez saved his goalkeeper Kelleher from certain death as he headed a dangerous in-swinging corner from Scott off the line. Solanke had made light work of Joel Matip and struck a shot into the side netting from a tight angle.
After a dominant first fifteen minutes of the second half, Kluivert’s historic goal, his first for the Cherries since joining the team in the summer, finally rewarded Bournemouth’s tenacity in the last third with an equalizer on the sixty-fourth minute.
Gomez did his best to clear another attempt off the line, but Scott was a persistent threat from set pieces all night long, and he took advantage of the high winds to whip a fantastic delivery towards the back post where Kluivert was unmarked to head home.
But Bournemouth’s joy was short-lived, as Liverpool equalized seven minutes later with an excellent piece of playmaking from replacement Nunez, who cut inside and blasted a fantastic dipping goal over Radu and into the far corner.
Also read: West Ham defeat Arsenal 3-0 in EFL
