Rubin Kazan vs Liverpool match report: Jordon Ibe on mark as Jurgen Klopp boosts Reds' Europa League fortunes

Rubin Kazan 0 Liverpool 1: This was the visitors' first win in nine European pool games, and gives them a much healthier outlook in Group B

Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe (Getty Images)

Jürgen Klopp is starting to build some momentum at Liverpool after a third successive victory – and the club’s first away from home in Europe for nearly three years.

Jordon Ibe’s first goal for the club in his 30th appearance was enough to decide the encounter against Rubin Kazan, a match the visitors dominated with a calm and controlling performance for which the 1-0 scoreline did not do justice.

After three successive 1-1 draws in the Europa League, their first win in nine European pool games gives them a much healthier outlook in Group B, where they trail leaders Sion by two points after their 1-1 draw with Bordeaux, who are three points behind Liverpool.

Rubin’s 45,000-capacity arena is not the easiest place to come to. The club have beaten Chelsea, Tottenham and Wigan on Russian soil. That was one reason Klopp brought the strongest squad available to him.

The manager said: “Jordon is a good lad and a big talent, a very skilled player. He has a really good base and he feels good at this moment but he has to work on things and he has a lot to learn.”

The manager was satisfied with the win, but admitted they can still do more after dominating for most of the game. “It was not easy with possession, we could have had more and we deserved our goal and then we have to learn to win. We had 1-0 and lost rhythm and opened the door for Rubin Kazan.”

Klopp gave a first start since 20 September for Christian Benteke and while his team-mates did their best to supply him, there was not a great deal to trouble goalkeeper Sergei Ryzhikov in the first half.

The visitors tried to threaten at times, but then James Milner’s rasping shot against the crossbar from Roberto Firmino’s clever little pass around the corner and Solomon Kverkvelia’s overhead kick clearance to deny Benteke a goalscoring opportunity inside the opening eight minutes reflected a positive approach.

The breakthrough did not come until seven minutes into the second half when Firmino popped off another a pass to allow Ibe to advance 15 yards and clip a shot in off Ryzhikov’s far post.

Milner almost made it two, cutting in from the right and forcing the goalkeeper to tip the ball over.

Rubin exerted some late pressure in an attempt to salvage a proud European record of not having lost a group game at home, but it was to no avail.

Man of match Firmino.

Match rating 7/10.

Referee K Blom (Netherlands).

PA