ISTANBUL, BALIPOST.com – Stand-in goalkeeper Adrian was the hero as his save from Tammy Abraham allowed Liverpool to beat Chelsea 5-4 on penalties and win the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday after a richly entertaining match in Istanbul finished 2-2 at the end of extra time.
Every penalty in the shoot-out had been successful before Mohamed Salah stepped up to convert Liverpool’s fifth kick at the home of Besiktas. Substitute Abraham then had his effort saved by Adrian, the summer signing only playing in the absence of the injured Allison Becker.
It is Liverpool’s fourth Super Cup victory, with their last coming in 2005 on the back of their memorable Champions League triumph, also in Istanbul.
They have now won 13 European trophies overall, and how their supporters would love to come back to the banks of the Bosphorus for the final of this season’s Champions League.
Sadio Mane had earlier been Liverpool’s star, cancelling out Olivier Giroud’s first-half strike to ensure the match ended 1-1 in 90 minutes, and then putting Jurgen Klopp’s team in front on 95 minutes.
But it was perhaps inevitable that French referee Stephanie Frappart would play a role in the outcome of the game.
The first woman to take charge of a major men’s match in European competition, Frappart gave Chelsea a penalty when Abraham went down under contact from Adrian. Jorginho — his name unfortunately wrongly spelled on the back of his shirt — netted the spot-kick.
He also scored in the shoot-out, but there would be no first trophy as Chelsea coach for Frank Lampard, who lost the Super Cup twice with the club as a player, including a defeat on penalties against Bayern Munich in 2013.
Lampard has stated a willingness to give youth a chance this season, although here he left Mason Mount and Abraham — aged just 20 and 21 respectively — on the bench. (AFP)
