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Ruben Neves's brilliant strike fires Wolves past makeshift Liverpool to reach FA Cup fourth round

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Liverpool: Divock Origi briefly gave the visitors hope early in the second half, but Raul Jimenez’s opener and Neves’s fine winner secured victory for the hosts

Steve Madeley
Molineux Stadium
Monday 07 January 2019 22:07 GMT
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Ruben Neves celebrates his sublime goal for Wolves
Ruben Neves celebrates his sublime goal for Wolves

Wolves sent Liverpool out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle on an evening when Jurgen Klopp signalled that his priorities lie elsewhere.

The Reds manager started two teenagers, used another after six minutes and played a makeshift centre-back in a game when his focus was clearly on his side’s Premier League and Champions League challenges.

Virgil van Dijk did not leave Merseyside while Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane were all left on the substitutes’ bench.

By the time Salah and Firmino made their delayed appearances in the second half, a classy Wolves side were 2-1 ahead against a Liverpool outfit with too many second-string figures unable to fill the boots of their senior colleagues.

Divock Origi briefly gave the visitors hope early in the second half, but Raul Jimenez’s opener and Ruben Neves’s fine winner took Wolves into round four, where they'll face either Stoke City or Shrewsbury Town.

Klopp gambled on two teenage debutants in his starting line-up with Rafael Camacho deployed at right-back and Curtis Jones in midfield.

Dejan Lovren was forced off early through injury

They were the first players born in the 21st century to represent Liverpool’s first team and two became three after just six minutes when Dejan Lovren, who began the night as the visitors’ only recognised central defender, was helped from the field injured.

That meant a debut for 16-year-old Ki-Jana Hoever; the Dutchman becoming the third youngest player in Liverpool’s history and their youngest in the FA Cup.

He was called upon to partner the out-of-position Fabinho in the heart of defence to create a line-up that must have given hope to Wolves.

The home side twice tried their luck from distance early on. But both Joao Moutinho and his fellow Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves failed to find the target.

A dreadful first half-hour brought only half-chances for either side.

Raul Jimenez opened the scoring against Liverpool

For Liverpool, Xherdan Shaqiri seized on a slip by Ryan Bennett but delivered a wayward shot. And for Wolves, Neves’s crossfield pass found Jonny Castro Otto but his tame shot was claimed easily by stand-in Reds goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

When the breakthrough finally arrived, though, it was Liverpool’s most experienced player who left his young colleagues with an uphill struggle.

Milner was caught in possession by Diogo Jota, the ball broke for Jimenez and the Mexican raced away from Fabinho and the back-tracking Milner before finishing coolly past Mignolet.

There had been few indications that a Liverpool fightback was imminent, yet six minutes into the second half they found themselves level thanks to Origi’s first significant involvement.

When Wolves failed to clear from the edge of their penalty area, the Belgian collected a heavy touch by Milner, stepped past Willy Boly and fired a shot through the legs of Leander Dendoncker and past a helpless John Ruddy.

Divock Origi pulled one back for Jurgen Klopp’s men (Getty Images)

The Reds were level for only four minutes, though, before Neves produced his magical moment.

He collected a square pass by wing-back Ruben Vinagre, took a touch then curled a right-footed shot from 25 yards past a defender and beyond Mignolet at his near post.

It might have got worse for Liverpool when Jimenez preyed on a hesitant touch by Hoever and rounded Mignolet, only to run out of pitch and prod a shot wide of the near post.

With 20 minutes to play the Reds were denied by the woodwork as Ruddy got the slightest fingertip to a Shaqiri free-kick, which thudded off the inside of his left-hand upright and rebounded to safety.

That was the signal for Klopp to introduce Salah and Firmino from the bench but the pair rarely threatened to change the course of the game.

Camacho gave Ruddy momentary alarm with two late, long-range shots but his efforts typified Liverpool’s night as they failed to hit the mark.

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