Besiktas JK 1 - 0 Liverpool - Liverpool knocked out on penalties
Posted Friday, February 27, 2015 by PA
Liverpool lost their first European penalty shoot-out as Dejan Lovren was the only man to miss from the spot against Besiktas in Istanbul.
There was no happy return to the Ataturk Stadium, where the Reds famously won the Champions League on penalties against AC Milan in 2005, as Brendan Rodgers' side exited the Europa League after a torturous affair.
On two of their three previous occasions Liverpool's success from the spot earned them a European Cup, on the other it was for a place in the final.
This occasion it was merely for a place in the last 16 of the Europa League but that should not have mattered.
But having conceded a 72nd-minute goal to substitute Tolgay Arslan to level the tie at 1-1 on aggregate Liverpool, shorn of eight senior players, had nothing left in the tank and looked dead on their feet after 120 minutes.
However, substitutes Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Emre Can - suffering from cramp - and Joe Allen all converted their penalties but when Arslan scored Besiktas's fifth Lovren could not reply.
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