Liverpool – Southampton (D2, 3-0): young Koumas and Danns are having a blast
Deprived of twelve players due to a cascade of injuries (Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Bajcetic, Thiago Alcantara, Endo, Curtis Jones, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Diogo Jota, Salah, Darwin Nunez), Liverpool, even more rejuvenated than Saturday, during the League Cup final won against Chelsea (1-0 ap), can still dream of a quadruple for Jürgen Klopp’s last season as coach.
Leaders of the Premier League and qualified for the round of 16 of the C3 (March 7 and 14 against Sparta Prague, RTC), the Reds eliminated Southampton, 4th in English D2, without trembling (3-0). And this, thanks to the first goal in his first professional appearance from Welsh striker Lewis Koumas (18 years old), a deflected right shot (44th), then a nice double from center forward Jayden Danns ( a dived ball and a recovery from the right, 75th, 88th). He is also just 18 years old, and scored his first two professional goals (in three appearances). Enough to have an appetite for the rest, and in particular for the quarter-final of the Cup at Old Trafford, against the sworn enemy, Manchester United (Saturday 16 or Sunday 17 March)…
Jürgen Klopp: “If he had a longer toe, Jayden would have scored in the final”
Nottingham Forest – Manchester United (0-1) : Casemiro en sauveur
Sixth in the Premier League, Manchester United had to wait until the last moments to win (1-0) on the pitch of the seventeenth, Nottingham Forest. Thanks to a slight deviation from Casemiro’s head on a free kick from Bruno Fernandes (89th). With the fifth goal this season from the Brazilian international midfielder (in four different competitions, two in the Champions League, one in the Premier League, one in the Cup, one in the League Cup), this qualification for the Red Devils appears deserved given the appearance of the match.
Chelsea – Leeds (D2, 3-2): Blues react
We know that Chelsea, only 11th in the Premier League and beaten in the League Cup final on Saturday by Liverpool (0-1 ap), are going through a very complicated season. It is therefore not really a surprise to have seen the Blues suffer enormously, even at home, to eliminate Leeds, 2nd in the Championship (English D2). But at least Maurico Pochettino’s men showed a certain strength of character.
Still weighed down by defensive wanderings, like that of Disasi, on the opponent’s opening score, signed Mateo Joseph (from the right, 8th), who then scored a double, with a header this time, (59th), they were first able to reverse the score, thanks to the 10th goal this season from Nicolas Jackson (from the right, on a good ball from Caicedo, 15th) then thanks to a recovery from Moudrik served behind by Sterling, himself launched by Gusto (37th). Above all, Chelsea avoided a perilous extension, thanks to a splendid sequence of oriented control-strike from Gallagher’s right (served by Enzo Fernandez, 90th). In the quarter-finals, the Blues will host another resident of D2: Leicester, the current leader.
Wolverhampton – Brighton (1-0) : signé Mario Lemina
The Wolves, ninth in the Premier League, won by the same score as MU (1-0), against the seventh, Brighton. But they scored from the start, thanks to Mario Lemina following a nice tumble from ex-Strasbourg player Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, whose cross was not controlled by the Seagulls goalkeeper, Steele (2nd) . They then managed to keep the score and will host Coventry (D2) in the quarter-finals.