ETOILE ROUGE-LIVERPOOL: BELGRADE TAKES THE REDS DOWN

In a 2-0 defeat by Red Star in Belgrade on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League, Liverpool made a miserable copy and relaunched Group C ahead of Napoli and PSG in Italy.

Without Roberto Firmino in the starting 11, for the benefit of Daniel Sturridge, the English appeared harmless during a good part of the meeting.

Group C is now fully open, Liverpool can be doubled by Naples or PSG in case of victory of one of the two formations later in the evening.

Serbian striker Milan Pavkov's double in the first half-hour sealed the result and surely created one of the greatest European exploits for the Belgrade Red Star, after winning the C1 title in 1991. The Serbs also recorded their first Champions League win in 26 years.

First half one-way
If not in possession (46% for Belgrade against 54% for Liverpool), the Serbs largely dominated the first half with 4 shots on target after 45 minutes against none for the Reds.

Daniel Sturridge could have given Liverpool the lead (17th) but the English striker inexplicably missed his recovery in front of the empty goal on a center of Sadio Mané.

British visitors paid this inefficiency five minutes later, when, on a corner perfectly touched by Marko Marin, N.9 Milan Pavkov rose in the air, completely demarcated, and sent a head set for 1- 0 (22nd).

Liverpool's expected answer did not come and, on the contrary, it was Pavkov who scored a double (29th), on an action built entirely by himself. The Serbian striker has managed to stand out from Georginio Wijnaldum to shoot a powerful cross shot from outside the box.

A very shy reaction of the Reds
At half-time, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp decided to change men without changing his system. Daniel Sturridge is replaced by the Brazilian Roberto Firmino, while the young prodigy Trent Alexander-Arnold has left his place Joe Gomez, post office in both cases.

Back from the locker room, the Reds then took the measure of this match and chained the opportunities. Mohamed Salah stumbled on Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan (71) before finding the post on the corner. Ten minutes later, on a long touch of Gomez, the Egyptian saw his recovery once again stopped by Borjan.

The second half eventually saw a significant drop in intensity in the game, the Serbs preferring padlock a little more the meeting, without compromising a certain willingness to project forward cons.

PSG is warned: his move to Belgrade will not be easy on December 11.