Reuters
London, Feb 27: Liverpool’s Europa League campaign ended at the scene of one of their greatest European triumphs as they lost 4-5 on penalties to Besiktas at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul Thursday, on a woeful night for the British clubs.
Brendan Rodgers’s side were the highest profile casualties of the last 32 round, where holders Sevilla came through a testing encounter at Borussia Moenchengladbach, winning 3-2 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate.
But in a sign that Italian teams may not be the dying force in Europe they are sometimes made out to be, AS Roma were joined in the last 16 by compatriots Inter Milan, Fiorentina, Torino and Napoli.
Roma overcame crowd trouble and the temporary suspension of their match in Feyenoord to win 2-1 in a fiery atmosphere at Rotterdam and clinch a 3-2 success over the two legs.
The only British representatives in the last 16, however, will be Everton, who saw off Young Boys 7-2 on aggregate, after Tottenham Hotspurs were beaten 0-2 at Fiorentina and Celtic had their hopes ended in a 1-0 defeat by Inter.
Turkish side Besiktas won their clash with Liverpool when Dejan Lovren missed the decisive penalty after the match ended 1-1 on aggregate following Besiktas’s 1-0 win on the night. Croatia centre-back Lovren blasted his effort high and wide to spark wild celebrations at the ground where Liverpool beat AC Milan on penalties 10 years ago to clinch a fifth European Cup.
The Merseysiders were playing at the Ataturk Stadium for the second time since 2005 but with club captain Steven Gerrard injured they always looked in trouble. Liverpool picked an attacking line-up but were second best most of the night and Tolgay Arslan’s crisp, curling effort after 72 minutes from the edge of the area levelled the aggregate score and took the game into extra time and eventually penalties.
The first nine of both team’s spot-kicks found their target, but Lovren stepped up, leant back and sent his effort high over the bar sparking raucous home celebrations.