football

[westcorklad]

3-0 to villa now.

That in all likelihood ends the match as a contest. Villa have one foot in the semi finals. Villa have now got a 4th goal. It`s turning into a rout.

[westcorklad]

Villa are 4-0 up at half time and are on their way to the SFs. I fear for what the final score could be against the Reds youngsters and hope they at least can register something on the score sheet.

[westcorklad]

At full time Villa win 5-0. Liverpool did play better in the 2nd half and had a few chances to score but Villa also eased up with the job done at half time. Villa go through to the semi finals and I suppose from a Liverpool point of view the positives of this match were that it gave the youngsters experience of playing at the top level and it also eases the Reds` fixture congestion going forward into the rest of the season.

[Ryankelvin]

I don t think Brewster will be flying anywhere. He is not named in the matchday squad against Villa due to injury.

Didnt know Brewster was injured at the time Liverpool kids did well under the circumstances. Elliott is a special talent , very mature for a 16 year old

[westcorklad]

3 more League Cup quarter finals today.
Everton take on Leicester at Goodison. The Toffees are unbeaten since Duncan Ferguson took temporary charge and I think that stat might continue tonight. I will go for a 1-1 draw with the outcome being decided on a penalty shootout. Oxford play Man City at home. City will make several changes from their regular line up but Oxford will also be missing a number of their first choice players through injuries. I will go for City to win 2-0. Man Utd take on Colchester at Old Trafford. The Red Devils will make changes from their usual lineup but would still be expected to comfortably win this match. Colchester have already caused 2 huge upsets in the competition this season knocking out both Palace and Spurs but I can`t see them making it a hat trick. I go for Utd to win 3-0.

[westcorklad]

I would expect man utd and city to win no matter what teams they put out. The everton leicester game may depend on what teams they pick. Will both managers pick full strength teams?

Leicester almost certainly won`t with the massive PL meeting with Man City coming up at the weekend. I don`t know about Everton. Ferguson might decide that fielding a near full strength side tonight is a risk worth taking.

[westcorklad]

The second Club World Cup semi final is on this evening. Liverpool take on Monterrey and would be expected to get a better result with their first team than their youngsters did against Villa in the League Cup. I will go for the Reds to win 3-1 and set up a meeting with Flamengo in the final on Saturday.

[westcorklad]

The first El Clasico clash of the Spanish League season is on this evening as Barcelona play Real Madrid in the Camp Nou. This match was due to be played in October but was postponed due to the civil unrest in the area at the time. Both sides are level on 35 points but Barca top the table on goal difference. If Messi is on form I think that Barca will win this match.

[westcorklad]

Good achievement by British clubs with all 9 qualifying for knockout stages of competition
Liverpool appear to have a deal done to bring Salzburg attacker Takumi Minamino to Anfield for only 7.25 million
I was very impressed with what I seen of him in couple of games
Typical of Klopp to not go after the obvious choice in Haaland

Minamino is to have a medical at Anfield today and is expected to be registered as a Liverpool player from the 1st Jan.

[westcorklad]

No Van Dijk or Wijnaldum in the Liverpool line up this evening. Hopefully the Reds will cope without them OK. Keita gives Liverpool the lead after 12 mins.
The lead lasts just 3 mins. Monterrey get an equaliser.