FC Basel vs Liverpool match report: Marco Streller on target as Reds let down once again by defensive weakness

FC Basel 1 Liverpool 0

(Getty Images)

Basel’s neat, compact ground is built into the side of a shopping centre but for Liverpool, as for so many other English clubs, success here has been as hard to find as Armani watches in Poundland.

It is not a venue Steven Gerrard will want to visit again. Twelve years ago, he had been brought off at half-time with Gérard Houllier’s team three down and spiralling rapidly out of the Champions League.

Liverpool’s captain lasted the full 90 minutes last night but, as he walked off, he would have realised the limitations of his side’s return to the European Cup. The history will never change and nor will the passion of their support but the great comeback has thus far been more Take That than Elvis Presley – a fortunate victory over Ludogorets and now defeat at the hands of Basel, middleweights of the Champions League.

Once the hometown boy, Marco Streller, put Basel ahead, there was little real feeling that this was a scoreline Liverpool could overturn. In 2002, they had scored three times after the interval and still gone out. This was a reverse far less heroic.

The screeches from all around St Jakob-Park before the final whistle, and the embraces when Jonas Eriksson put it to his lips, signified that for Switzerland’s most powerful team, this was a desperately required victory. It is one Brendan Rodgers will struggle to take the positives from. Real Madrid await, home and away.

Whereas one £16m striker went into the half-time interval on his way to a Champions League hat-trick, the other had only sweat to show for his efforts. Danny Welbeck does, however, lack Mario Balotelli’s Hollywood quality.

Switzerland’s biggest-selling newspaper, Blick, devoted a full page to detailing the Italian’s every move as he travelled on the team bus from airport to hotel under the headline: “Here Comes the Cobra”. Blick even noted gleefully that there was a sex shop opposite the team hotel, as if this would be Balotelli’s first port of call after check-in.

One free-kick from fully 35 yards that struck Basel’s keeper, Tomas Vaclik, in the chest apart, there was not much venom in the cobra’s fangs. Mostly, his hair dyed the colour of Liverpool’s yellow away shirt, he was to be discovered very deep and, when he did go forward, Balotelli found himself either chopped down or out of position.

On the touchline, clad in a dark suit, Rodgers was unusually demonstrative, throwing his arms around in anger when Raheem Sterling picked up a cheap booking, but more often the gestures were made in frustration.

Mario Balotelli was a lonely figure up front (Getty Images)

Only Javi Manquillo, from right-back, provided any real kind of outlet – it was his cross that Sterling turned into the net from an offside position. There was, however, far too little support through the middle and not much for Germany coach Joachim Löw, who lives just over the border in Freiburg, to enjoy from his seat in the directors’ box.

The Liverpool fans who, perhaps appropriately given the majesty of their past, had occupied the square in front of Basel’s history museum, brought with them a banner that proclaimed their club “European royalty”.

Basel are not that but they could claim to be among the gentry of the continent’s football teams, and having beaten Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham here, they boast an enviable record against English clubs.

Brendan Rodgers was angry with his team's defending (Getty Images)

Given their 5-1 annihilation by Real Madrid in the Bernabeu, this was a record Paulo Sousa’s team needed to maintain if they were to entertain hopes of making it out of this group. They had possession and forced plenty of corners, though a combination of Gerrard’s marshalling of his defence and some weak direction meant Basel did little enough with them in the first half.

Sousa had lost his left-back, Behrang Safari, before 10 minutes were up and his replacement, Derlis Gonzalez, was twice betrayed by his own touch as opportunities opened up. When he did force his way through on the counter-attack after the restart, Simon Mignolet blocked the shot.

Before the interval, the Liverpool keeper needed his legs to block Basel’s way to goal as Geoffroy Serey Die turned first Jose Enrique and then Dejan Lovren. A dozen years ago, Basel had gone into the home dressing room at St Jakob-Park three goals up against Liverpool. Now it was goalless but the warnings as to what was to follow had already been given.

Three years ago, Streller’s goal had helped knock Manchester United out of the Champions League on this ground and sparked one of the more curmudgeonly of Sir Alex Ferguson’s press conferences – Basel, who had scored five times home and away against United, were he said, “a very defensive team”. Liverpool are likely to pay a far lighter price than Manchester United but they were just as well beaten.

Now, after Mignolet blocked one attempt from a corner, Streller, born and brought up in Basel, swept the loose ball home. At the age of 33, his career is in its twilight but the afterglow will linger – especially in England’s North-west.

Streller bundles home the winner (Getty Images)

FC Basel (4-5-1): Vaclik, Schär, Suchy, Safari, Serey Die, Frei, Hamoudi, El Nenny, Xhaka, Streller, Embolo.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mignolet, Manquillo, Skrtel, Lovren, Enrique, Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho,Sterling, Markovic,Balotelli

Substitutions: Basel Gonzalez (Safari, 9), Calla (Embolo, 81), Zuffi (Hamoudi, 90). Liverpool Lallana (Coutinho, 70), Lambert (Markovic, 81).

Booked: Basel Suchy. Liverpool Sterling, Gerrard, Balotelli.

Man of the match: Streller.

Match rating: 7/10.

Possession: Basel 55% Liverpool 45%.

Attempts on target: Basel 5 Liverpool 5.

Referee: J Eriksson (Swe).