Liverpool Goal: Andy Webster (78 O.G)
Those expecting a classic were always going to be let down. Much had been made prior to kick off of the inferiority of both our opponents and the league that they play in and as such, Tynecastle was always bound to be a little boisterous. The starting line up had a nice blend of youth and experience, more or less as we expected. Borini got his chance to impress in his favoured position and I was really looking forward to seeing what Sterling could do. He didn't disappoint.
The first few minutes were always going to be about riding a wave. West Brom did it on Saturday and - being a European game - Hearts were always going to come out of the blocks hard. There was very little in those opening exchanges that gave any cause for alarm, save for a less than accomplished attempt at a tackle from Jonjo Shelvey. For all the talent Shelvey does posses, this is one area of the game he needs to drastically change. In particular the way he dives into these challenges, referees in the Premier League will not tolerate it.
Hearts controlled the early stages, without ever testing Pepe Reina in goal. We kept the ball in patches, mostly playing through the left hand side and using Raheem Sterling as an outlet. It's easy to forget just how young and raw Sterling is because for all the athleticism he possesses, there's a great deal of intelligence there in how he'll hold up the ball when necessary and go for the opposition's throat at other times. Our only other player who had a great deal of possession was Charlie Adam, booed mercilessly throughout - by the opposition! - and certainly looking like a man with a point to prove. It must be frustrating for all concerned, as Adam looks like a player whose confidence in himself is unyielding and feels the need to show it every time he's on the ball. That he actually needs to prove to Brendan Rodgers this very point may encourage him to play this way even more, I can't think he's one that will ever subscribe to the theory of keeping it simple.
Ten minutes in and Hearts had Reina scrambling for the first time in the match. The direct - in your face - style that they were implementing perfectly didn't translate to the creation of any real openings but as a result of their pressure had a succession of set pieces and speculative efforts from the edge of the penalty area. This in turn made their fans turn up the volume even more and for large period of time we were simply unable to get a hold of the ball, let alone keep it. If Brendan Rodgers was to be pleased about anything, it was that for all of their bluster the score was still goalless.
Having seemingly weathered the storm, we began to get a real foothold in the game and the pace of Sterling was a constant menace for the Hearts defence to have to deal with. The home support become a little subdued as a result of our growing presence in the game but we were still a little untidy. Neither Adam, Shelvey or Spearing got onto the ball with any real authority which forced Henderson to help out in that area of the park and in turn made Borini's task that much harder. To his credit, he ran along the back line very well and was always an option for whomever had the ball. Better supply and we might have been able to make more of the game than the few half chances that had been created.
After being pushed onto the back foot somewhat, Hearts turned up the pressure a little toward the end of the half. Considering what happened at the weekend in being caught by a sucker-punch right on half time, it was important not to have a repeat. As it happened, the reverse nearly came true. Sterling's great vision saw him cut out a ball across the back line and put him through on goal. Rather than take the shot himself he unselfishly laid the ball off to Fabio Borini, whose shot cannoned off the post. It would have been the perfect end to a disjointed first half from our perspective and even though we had hardly been at our best, the game was still there for the taking.
With the second half underway, Hearts again went for it. I thought we looked a little sharper from the restart and matched them very well despite the roars of the partisan home crowd. Away from home - especially in Europe - you're going to have to accept that the opposition will have either the ball or dictate certain aspects of the game and as such all you can do is play well enough not to succumb to anything while under said pressure. We did that quite well for the most part, and there was always room to step up a level and take it away from them.
Attacking wise, it was all about Raheem Sterling. He continued to show why he's so highly rated and performances like these will do no harm to the general excitement surrounding him at the moment. It was difficult to get a head of steam and exert some concerted pressure because the midfield were lacking in any real quality. Charlie Adam was wasteful but at the very least he was direct and kept trying to make something happen. Jonjo Shelvey on the other hand was lost completely, looking like he didn't really know what his role in the team was. He was in that difficult "not quite defensive, not quite attacking" role in the middle of the park but will certainly have to do better than this if he wants more first team opportunities.
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. If Brendan Rodgers is to make the most out of the players that he has at his disposal, playing the way he wants them to play, then the question of what he is to do in the full back area is one that keeps reappearing. Bringing on Stewart Downing for Jack Robinson at the sixty minute mark was a bold move to say the least. If the Europa League is to be a competition for which you experiment with the level of players that are used, then it can also be a chance to try little things like having Downing at left back - something which could in theory work to great effect against the lesser sides, given the system.
Though our first change may have been unusual, the second was much more straightforward. Joe Allen came on for Jay Spearing, giving an assurance of passing to our indifferent midfield. There's something - whether it's a mental thing or not - about having a player who simply doesn't give the ball away with regard to how at ease everyone around suddenly becomes. When you hear Rodgers talk about resting with the ball, with Joe Allen it's easy to see how that works across the team. With the game winding down, you could have been forgiven for thinking that Liverpool were actually winning such was their relaxed attitude in possession. Of course, the return leg at Anfield next week made it so that there was no need to go overboard in chasing a winner. And then the goal came.
There were just under fifteen minutes left to protect the lead and we appeared determined to hold the ball for what time remained. Joe Allen stepped back in between the centre halves as we knocked the ball around at the back for a few minutes, happy to let the clock tick down. Given that this was Hearts' big chance of getting anything out of the tie, I was a little surprised that they didn't mount any kind of onslaught. There were a couple of - what you would barely call - half chances, but one goal down I suppose they're still in the tie as opposed to going gung-ho in the closing stages and running the risk of conceding again and almost certainly being out of it.
Overall, Rodgers will be very pleased with what he saw and what his team accomplished tonight. They may have rode their luck in the early goings but even having said that Pepe Reina barely had a save to make. We'll certainly hope to be a lot better than this in the second leg but in knockout football it's the result that matters most. The crowd and tempo set by Hearts was always going to make it difficult but a team made up of youth and fringe players had it in them to get the job done and see it through to the end.
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