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Liverpool players celebrate Jordan Henderson's opening goal. Paolo Giovannini/AP/Press Association Images
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happend: Udinese v Liverpool, UEFA Europa League

Liverpool and Udinese went head to head in the Europa League.

AS LIVERPOOL BATTLED for a place in the knockout stages of the Europa League, we went minute by minute.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the games. E-mail steven@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

RESULT: Udinese 0-1 Liverpool

We have the teamsheets in front of us.

Liverpool: Reina; Johnson, Enrique, Carragher (c), Skrtel; Sahin, Henderson, Downing, Allen; Suarez Suso. Subs: Jones, Coates, Wisdom, J. Cole, Sterling, Shelvey, Assaidi.

Udinese: Padelli; Danilo, Faraoni, Pasquale, Armero; Heurtaux, Badu, Pereyra, Pinzi (c); Ranégie, Fabbrini. Subs: Brkić, Benatia, Berra, Frison, Reinthaler, Di Natale, Marsura

Udinese won 3-2 at Anfield when the sides met for the first time on matchday two. Antonio Di Natale’s strike, an own goal by Sebastián Coates and a superb effort from Giovanni Pasquale were enough to trump Jonjo Shelvey’s early opener and a sublime Luis Suárez free-kick.

So, what do Liverpool need to do to get through?

Well, here comes the science bit. As Liverpool are second on head-to-head record ahead of Young Boys, they will qualify with a win. A draw could also take them through provided Young Boys do not win.

However, Liverpool would be out with a defeat, even if Young Boys lose, as the Swiss side would be top of a three-way head-to-head involving the Reds and Udinese.

Simple really.

As for Udinese, they’ve missed out on the knockout stages for the first time in a UEFA Cup or Europa League campaign.

The Italian outfit are on a three-game losing streak in Group A and had never lost more than two games in a row in Europe prior to matchday five.

It’s the sort of form that shouldn’t worry Liverpool too much, especially with there star player, Antonio Di Natale, on the bench.

So, how do you think Liverpool will do tonight? Where does the Europa League stand in your list of priorities for Liverpool? As always, it would be great to hear from you in the comments below.

And the game has kicked off with Udinese winning a corner after just 20 seconds.

It’s swung in dangerously but Liverpool do really well to clear their lines.

Škrtel has taken an early knock after a clumsy challenge from Ranégie but he seems to have shaken it off and looks set to continue.

There’s a really sparse crowd in Stadio Friuli this evening, but that’s probably to have been expected given the fact the home side are already out.

The opening ten minutes have provided little in the way of goal-scoring opportunities.

Both side have won a corner but neither threatened the goalkeeper.

Worryingly for Liverpool, Nuri Şahin has been off the field for at least three minutes and it looks like he will be replaced by Jonjo Shelvey when the ball next goes out of play.

SUBSTITUTION: Nuri Şahin is replaced by Jonjo Shelvey, 12 mins

Shelvey has a pop with his first touch of the ball but the ball goes harmlessly wide of Daniele Padelli’s goal.

Reina is called into action for the first time but makes a comfortable save from Roberto Pereyra which results in a third corner of the game for Udinese.

GOAL: LIVERPOOL, JORDAN HENDERSON, 23 MINS

First goal in Europe for Jordan Henderson and he puts Liverpool in the lead.

The goal comes from a corner that Udinese failed to clear but it was a clinical strike from Henderson with the assist coming from Suso.

Glen Johnson thought he had scored Liverpool’s second goal of the game but Stewart Downing was judged, rightly, to have been offside.

After 30 minutes, Liverpool are very good value for their lead and look the much better team.

Of course, Udinese’s interest in the game could be called into question but you can only beat what’s put in front of you and Liverpool are doing just that at the moment.

Jordan Henderson finds himself in very exclusive company:

In the other game in this group, Young Boys have scored so that puts Liverpool in top spot.

All going to plan so far for the Merseysiders.

The young Spanish striker Suso, who managed to pick up a yellow card earlier, fluffs a great opportunity to double Liverpool’s advantage.

You have to feel, were Luis Suárez handed the same opportunity, the Uruguayan would have scored.

Commentators curse. Luis Suárez misses a great opportunity just before the half from six yards.

As the half-time whistle goes, Liverpool couldn’t be more comfortable had they brought a recliner, slippers and pipe.

Udinese have offered absolutely nothing in way of attack.

Here is the Jordan Henderson goal that separates the two sides:

YouTube Credit: FootballGols

For those of you keeping track, Anji equalised two minutes into injury time at the end of the first half.

A draw would be enough for the Russian side to top the group.

However, as it stands, Liverpool are still going through in second place.

SUBSTITUTION: Medhi Benatia replaces the Udinese captain Giampiero Pinzi at the start of the second half.

It should be 2-0 Liverpool but Suso’s shot is high and wide after being played in brilliantly by Suárez.

They are by far the better team in this game but you can’t help but wonder if Liverpool will be made to pay for these missed opportunities.

Another half-chance for Liverpool.

This time it’s a Louis Suárez with a speculative shot from distance but he doesn’t trouble the Udinese goalkeeper.

In the other game, Young Boys have retaken the lead which puts Liverpool back on top of A.

Liverpool really need to be careful here, Udinese are growing into the game and came very close to equalising from a corner there.

The Italians deserve nothing out of the game but Liverpool have made a nervy start to the second half and perhaps a change would bring fresh impetus to the Reds.

SUBSTITUTION: Benatia, who himself came on as a sub, goes off to be replaced by Max Reinthaler, after 64 mins.

Jordan Henderson almost makes it 2-0 to Liverpool but Padelli makes a great save in the Udinese goal.

Another wasted opportunity for Liverpool and this time it’s Louis Suárez who is the culprit.

After beating two Udinese defenders he tries to beat another and the Italians clear it for a corner which comes to nothing.

SUBSTITUTION: Raheem Sterling, who turns 18 on Saturday, comes on for the ineffective Suso after 71 minutes.

Udinese are finally starting to come into the game with 20 minutes remaining.

I’m still not convinced Liverpool actually need a second goal as the Italian side have yet to actually force Pepe Reina into a save.

Still, with Young Boys leading in the other Group A game, a draw is not enough for the Reds to go through so they better hope they don’t concede.

RED CARD: Pasquale picks up his second yellow card of the game for a foul on Sterling and Udinese are reduced to ten men.

Really difficult to see them blocking Liverpool’s progress to the next round now.

SUBSTITUTION: Mathias Ranégie makes way for Antonio Di Natale after 85 minutes.

It’s difficult to see the 35-year-old making a difference at this stage though.

Antonio Di Natale almost sends Liverpool crashing out of the competition with the last kick of the game but his shot went just over the bar before the final whistle went sending Liverpool through to the knockout stages of the Europa League as winners of Group A.

A 3-1 win for Young Boys in the other game was not enough for the Swiss side to progress but it did drop Anji to second place with all three teams finishing on ten points.

Until the very last kick of the game, Udinese never looked like threatening Liverpool’s progress to the next stage of the Europa League.

However, as the second half wore on, the Reds became more and more nervous in possession and failed to put the game to bed, despite creating a number of opportunities, the best of which fell to Luis Suárez.

As a spectacle, there wasn’t much to keep the neutrals interested but Liverpool had a job to do and they did it comfortably enough in the end which should make Brendan Rodgers happy.

It depends on how seriously they take it of course, but there’s a real chance for Liverpool to do well in this competition now, especially going through as group winners.

Well, I’ve had my say but what do you think?

Were Liverpool nervy in the second half or did they just do enough which is a sign of a team well in control of their own destiny.

What did you think of the performances up from and are the Reds too reliant on Luis Suárez?

Let us know in the comments below and thanks for reading.

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