LIVE BLOG

PENALTIES

Round 1: Firmino SCORES; Jorginho SCORES (1-1)
Round 2: Fabinho SCORES; Barkley SCORES (2-2)
Round 3: Origi SCORES; Mount SCORES (3-3)
Round 4: Alexander-Arnold SCORES; Emerson SCORES (4-4)
Round 5: Salah SCORES; Abraham SAVED (5-4)

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120min: The referee blows her whistle and we go to a penalty shootout!

118min: Mount forces another save from Adrián, Tammy gets to the rebound first but cannot escape Van Dijk and can’t get the shot on target. Called offside anyway.

116min: Mount takes the free kick, Zouma gets a head to it, but just managed to flick it on. Called offside anyway.

115min: Chelsea have a corner after Kanté finds Emerson with the freedom of the half the pitch, but he settles for a long shot. Matip clears the corner, but Chelsea win a free kick wide right.

113min: Adrián pulls off yet another great save as Abraham tees up Mount from the top of the box. Then Pedro just misses the corner of the net from 20 yards. So close!

109min: Matip bounds forward for Liverpool, but Chelsea eventually win a goal kick. Emerson stays down for a bit, favoring his groin, but is able to carry on.

107min: TAA gets a yellow for a tussle with Mount on the left flank, but Chelsea waste the free kick and its Liverpool who counter with Salah. Chelsea recover but Liverpool keep the ball.

ET HALF-TIME: Chelsea restart extra-time.

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105+2min: Barkley intercepts again, but can’t find Abraham on the run or quite get past Matip, who clears and the first half of extra time is done.

104min: Barkley intercepts a pass and drives forward on fresh legs, finding Pedro wide. He waits and waits and puts a perfect ball across, which is somehow bundled wide by Abraham. Have to do better there.

102min: Barkley on for Kovacic, and Origi on for Mané meanwhile.

100min: GOAL!! CHELSEA!!! Pedro’s in this time and crosses for Tammy, who gets there just ahead of Adrián. The referee awards the penalty and VAR concurs. Jorginho takes ... and Jorginho dinks it home in classic style. 2-2!!!

98min: Abraham goes strength-to-strength with Van Dijk and still gets his shot in. Adrián makes a tremendous save to keep Liverpool in the lead.

95min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL. Zouma keeps Firmino onside, who finds Mané with a cutback and he hammers home. 2-1, Liverpool.

92min: Gomez tries one from 20+ yards, but Kepa holds on despite a deflection.

EXTRA-TIME: Alexander-Arnold on for Liverpool, with Robertson making way and Gomez switching to the left. Two 15-minute periods of extra time begin with Liverpool.

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90+2min: Emerson called for a foul on Gomez for some reason, giving Liverpool a chance to swing in the free kick. Chelsea can’t quite clear, but Salah’s shot is way wide and we head into extra-time.

89min: Chelsea win a corner as Kanté’s shot is blocked. Mount takes, Zouma flies in, but gets his header all wrong and it rockets over the bar harmlessly.

86min: Mané called offside, for a change, but he misses the far post anyway after a through ball from Salah.

85min: Henderson gets a yellow for dragging back Emerson in the middle.

84min: Tomori on for Christensen, who must’ve picked up some sort of injury.

83min: Joringho finds Mount over the top and the youngster beats Adrian with a wonderful finish ... but it’s ruled out for another marginal offside.

82min: Pedro combines with Kanté and Azpilicueta on the right to create a fantastic chance, which is blocked by the ever present Van Dijk. Chelsea retain possession but Abraham gets his low cross wrong and Liverpool can clear again.

81min: Salah takes the corner and Kovacic hammers a clearance high and out at the near post. Kante and Mount counter, then pull back to midfield.

79min: Azpilicueta gets a yellow for protesting a weak foul in a dangerous, central position, 25 yards out or so. Salah’s effort is blocked by the wall for a corner.

75min: Kepa pulls off a magic save as Chelsea make a royal mess of a Liverpool corner. Phew!

74min: Abraham and Mount on for Giroud and Pulisic in what looks like a straight swap

73min: Kanté’s excellent switch to Pedro gets Chelsea out from the back and into the final third. Kovacic and Pulisic combine for a shot, but the effort from the latter is blocked.

70min: A slight lull in the game sees the ball move around in midfield a fair amount, before Pulisic’s called for an offside.

65min: Great ball down the right for Pedro to chase, he cuts it back towards Pulisic coming in at the top of the area, but his shot is blocked for a corner. Pulisic takes this one as well, but it’s cleared at the near post. Giroud’s pressure ensures that Chelsea do win a throw high up.

64min: Liverpool make their second change, with Wijnaldum replacing Milner in the center of midfield.

62min: Pulisic almost finds Pedro cutting in, but Van Dijk’s there to clear for a corner. Pulisic takes, and this time the effort is much better, but just missed by Zouma steaming in.

59min: Chelsea combine very nicely to play out from the back, and eventually win the corner when Emerson’s cross is blocked. But Pulisic’s corner is too strong and poses no danger.

54min: Kanté’s fouled in the middle but is not called and Liverpool break. Fortunately the dragback in the area only finds Jorginho.

51min: Liverpool break down the left wing and Mané cuts it back for Henderson. His shot is half-blocked by Emerson and fortunately Kepa’s able to adjust to catch it.

50min: Fabinho hammers one just wide as Liverpool, full of confidence, continue pushing. At the other end, Emerson beats his man on the left but has no one in the middle and eventually Liverpool get the goal kick.

48min: GOAL, LIVERPOOL. Firmino makes immediate impact and at the second time of asking, Mané bundles it home. Unlucky by Kepa, poor by the defensive line.

HALF-TIME: Liverpool bring on Firmino in place of Oxlade-Chamberlain. Taking this seriously, they are.

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45+1min: First 45 in the books, and Chelsea showing good value for the lead. Pulisic had a second ruled out for offside (correctly?), and Pedro has hit the crossbar. At the other end, Chelsea continue to show weakness on set pieces and occasional difficulty in playing out.

42min: Jorginho takes a wild swing as the corner clearance goes out to him, but it’s all wrong and it even goes out for a throw on the far side.

40min: Pulisic has the ball in the back of the net with a great run and finish, but after some confusion is eventually called offside. It’s unclear who made the call because it wasn’t the assistant referee...

36min: GOAAAALLLLLLL GIROUDDDDDDD!!! The Europa League’s top scorer gets Chelsea on the board. Kanté won the ball in midfield, finding Giroud who laid it off to Pulisic. He turned and drove forward before finding a lovely through ball back to Giroud, who finished unerringly. 1-0, CHELSEA!!

33min: Great defending from Gomez to get ahead of Pulisic and clear the low cross before a shot can be taken.

32min: Pedro twists and turns and squirts a lovely through ball into Kovacic making the penalty area run, but Adrian is quick off is line and prevents the shot.

30min: Chelsea having trouble playing out suddenly and Liverpool have another corner. Milner takes, finding Mané for a free header, but fortunately his header is blocked by a teammate before Kepa collects with ease.

28min: Azpi nods out for a corner. Van Dijk rises majestically and wins the ball ahead of Kepa’s fist, but fortunately the header is well over.

27min: Chelsea win the ball high up and find Pulisic 1-v-1 with Matip. Everyone expects him to go for goal but he pulls a ball across the face of goal between the defender’s legs. But everyone was on their heels and the chance is gone.

24min: Giroud tries a spectacular bicycle kick. Wide. He’s then called offside after Kanté wins the ball high up. Chelsea creating good opportunities, but no breakthrough.

22min: WOODWORK AGAIN!? Slick passing through the middle eventually gets Pedro on the ball. He plays a 1-2 with Giroud and is in on goal from a tight angle. He takes aim and smacks one off the crossbar! Third woodwork in a game and a half.

20min: Beautiful through ball from Kovacic finds Pedro making the run through the center, but Robertson recovers and clears for a throw.

19min: Jorginho tries a ball over the top for Giroud, but it’s hit a bit too flat and fast and Giroud can’t quite gather despite some impressive acrobatics.

16min: A turnover in midfield leads to a quick ball over the top for Salah, who beats Emerson for pace and pokes one towards the far corner, but Kepa gets an arm down quickly to block. At the other end, a long ball finds Pedro who plays in Giroud and he beats Matip to the ball but gets his shot wrong and well wide of the far post.

13min: Christensen clears a Henderson cross for a corner, which is taken by Milner. The ball in finds a Liverpool shirt, but Mané gets his header all wrong and it bounces over the bar.

11min: Pedro with a speculative effort from 25 yards; wide.

10min: Salah’s shot is blocked and Pedro intercepts a square ball from which Chelsea come forward through Emerson and Kanté. But his pass is blocked and Adrian gathers.

9min: Jorginho gives away a free kick, which Salah chips into the area and after a couple bounces, finds Fabinho who slams one towards goal from a tight angle, but Kepa holds well.

6min: Liverpool have a corner after Christensen blocks Mané’s overhead kick for a corner. Matip eventually fashions a tame header on target from the second ball, but Kepa gathers easily.

4min: Van Dijk called for a handball on halfway (no card?) and suddenly Pulisic is in the penalty area but Matip is there again to defend just as he’s about to pull the trigger.

2min: Chelsea attack down the left with Pulisic after Giroud wins the ball on the long goal kick. Matip covers.

1min: Giroud whistled for the game’s first foul by the first ever female referee in charge of a major senior men’s UEFA match. He claims it was shoulder-to-shoulder.

KICK-OFF: The pre-match ceremony has wrapped and the teams are out. Liverpool in all red, Chelsea in all blue with white socks. Azpi brings with him the Europa League trophy, Henderson brings with him the Champions League trophy, as the two teams line up, shake hands, and get ready to party. Liverpool get us underway.

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Any way you look at it, a trophy is on the line.

Time to step up.

Here we go!

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Liverpool starting lineup (4-3-3)
Adrián | Robertson, Van Dijk, Matip, Gomez | Henderson, Fabinho, Milner | Mané, Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain

Substitutes from: Lonergan, Kelleher, Wijnaldum, Firmino, Lallana, Shaqiri, Brewster, Origi, Hoever, Alexander-Arnold, Elliott

Chelsea starting lineup (4-3-3):
Arrizabalaga | Emerson, Christensen, Zouma, Azpilicueta (c) | Kovačić, Jorginho, Kanté | Pulisic, Giroud, Pedro

Substitutes from: Caballero, Rüdiger, Alonso, Barkley, Abraham, Willian, Kenedy, Mount, Batshuayi, Tomori, Gilmour

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Date / Time: Wednesday, August 14, 2019; 20:00 BST; 3pm EDT; 12:30am IST (next day)
Venue: Vodafone Park, Istanbul, Turkey (home of Besiktas)
Referee: Stéphanie Frappart

On TV: BT Sport 2 (UK); TNT, TUDN (née Univision Deportes) (USA); Sony TEN 2 (India); elsewhere
Streaming: BT Sport Live (UK); B/R Live, TUDN En Vivo (USA); Sony LIV (India)

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Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes!