Liverpool played host to Young Boys tonight needing a win to progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League.
The hosts twice took the lead - firstly through Jonjo Shelvey and then Joe Cole - but were pegged back by superb strikes from Raul Bobadilla and Elsad Zverotic.
The 2-2 draw means that Liverpool must better the Swiss team's result in two weeks's time when they travel to Udinese, while Young Boys host Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.
You can read how all the action unfolded below.
Evening all. Welcome to Sports Mole for live coverage of Liverpool's clash with Young Boys in the Europa League. A win tonight will see Brendan Rodgers's men through to the knockout stages.
We have some team news for you...
Reina; Wisdom, Carragher, Skrtel, Downing; Suso, Sahin, Henderson, Shelvey; Cole; Assaidi
Liverpool start with summer signing Oussama Assaidi up front, supported by midfield misfit Joe Cole. Suso gets another start, as too does Jordan Henderson. Stewart Downing is forced into the left back position as Glen Johnson misses out.
Steven Gerrard starts on the bench tonight as Rodgers tries to preserve his captain's efforts for Sunday's match against Swansea City. Raheem Sterling and Luis Suarez will sit alongside him
Anzhi triumphed 2-0 over Udinese in the other game in Group A this evening, meaning that a win will see Liverpool progress to the next stage of the competition. They would have a better head-to-head record than tonight's opposition, while also being five points clear of Udinese with one game remaining.
Liverpool and Udinese will play each other in Italy in two weeks' time.
Wolfli; Nef, Zverotic, Veskovac, Sutter; Lecjaks, Farnerud, Schneuwly, Nuzzolo; Bobadilla, Zarate
London-born defender Scott Sutter starts for the visitors tonight. He was on the books of a few English clubs, including Millwall and Aston Villa, but moved to Switzerland in 2002 with Grasshopper Zurich. He joined Young Boys in 2009 and played against his boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur in this competition last season.
The players are making their way onto the pitch and we're just minutes from kickoff at Anfield.
Young Boys front man Raul Bobadilla has made it well-known that he's looking for a move to a big European league. He's only scored one goal in this competition so far, so tonight is as good as any to impress...
Young Boys get this game underway and attack from the off, splitting the Liverpool defence open straight from the kickoff. Great start!
Bobadilla gets the first shot on target but it's an easy one for Reina.
That was a blistering start if ever there was one, but Liverpool have had their foot on the ball now and will have been shocked into action.
Downing and Assaidi combine down the left to win a corner for Liverpool.
It's a poor corner by Henderson.
Young Boys break with lightning pace and Bobadilla has another sight at goal, but Reina is well positioned for his low-driven shot.
Now Liverpool nearly get in down the other end, but Downing's cross is too high for Assaidi. It's very open so far!
Sahin tries to set Joe Cole free but Scott Sutter tidies up the through-ball.
Assaidi and Suso try to link up on the left. The Moroccan international had looked quite lively so far. The pace has slowed as Liverpool see more of the ball.
Suso drifts inside from the right and has a pop at goal. There was very little conviction in it but he's trying to make something happen.
Cole and Shelvey are sharing the striking duties tonight. One is dropping deep while the other goes forward. Liverpool have looked quite dangerous out wide in the opening 15 minutes.
Shelvey puts Cole through, but the England international can't find the target with his shot. It was a difficult chance in truth, as the defender was quick to close him down and the angle was forever worsening.
Henderson strikes a free kick from around 25 yards but Wolfli saves comfortably.
Zarate and Farnerud combine excellently and the Swede has a go at goal, but Skrtel blocks for a corner, which Liverpool clear.
Veskovac has pulled up in dramatic fashion clutching his hamstring. He's being stretchered off to a warm round of applause.
His replacement will be Juhani Ojala.
Assaidi shows some dazzling footwork to jink his way through three players before the ball was slipped through to Henderson, who was offside. He still missed the chance...
CHANCE! That's the first real chance of the night! A lovely flick through from Shelvey set Henderson clear, but the England international shoots tamely at Wolfli. Big chance!
The Young Boys fans clap as they hold up a banner saying "In memory of Hillsborough". It's evoked a warm feeling around the stadium as the Liverpool fans clap along and sing "Justice for the 96".
Wisdom nearly picks out Shelvey with a fantastic cross. It's his last contribution of the evening as he goes off. Steven Gerrard comes on to replace him.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Young Boys (Shelvey): Cole and Suso play a neat one-two and the England international is through on goal. He gets to the ball ahead of Wolfli and manages to clip the ball for Shelvey to head home. Simple, effective. Brilliant play by Cole.
CHANCE! Gerrard sends in a corner and Cole has the chance to shoot. It was wayward, but the ball ping-ponged around the area before being cleared.
Zarate swings a free kick into the box and Reina flaps a bit. There's no one following up and the ball is cleared. Not very convincing, though.
Young Boys look like a decent pasing team but they haven't created anything. Every time Liverpool go forward they look like scoring.
Case in point: Cole plays a lovely first-time ball through to Suso and the Spaniard tires to guide the ball into the net, but it goes just wide. It had Wolfli slightly concerned, and it wasn't a million miles away.
CHANCE! It was a decent opening, which Young Boys worked well to create. Bobadilla bulldozed his way forward before the ball was worked out to the left. It was swung into the box and the Argentine got right underneath it, but looped his header over the bar.
Liverpool 1-0 Young Boys
The Reds deserve their lead, but should probably be ahead by more. Young Boys look decent going forward, but defensively frail. They're leaking chances and another goal for the hosts early in the second half could easily them go on to bag four or five tonight.
You can read Sports Mole's half-time report by clicking here.
The players are back on the pitch and Liverpool resume play...
Luis Suarez is lacing up his boots in the dugout. At what point will we see him tonight?
SHOT! Farnerud drives at goal, and it has some power on it, but Reina sees it over the top.
SHOT! Zverotic has a go and this time Reina is worried, but it drifts just wide of the Spaniard's left-hand post.
CHANCE! Suso plays a wonderful ball through to Cole, but he can't quite find a way past Wolfli.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Young Boys (Bobadilla): Oh my word! What a goal! Young Boys break down field and Farnerud picks the Argentine out inside the box with an angled ball. Bobadilla took it down on his knee and fired past Reina from a tight angle. Superb goal!
Apologies if everything has gone bold. A manual refresh should sort the problem.
Henderson nearly finds Shelvey with a ball swept across the back of Young Boys' defence. Liverpool retain possession and win a corner.
Brendan Rodgers is giving Suarez his instructions. The Uruguayan is ready to come on...
Suso is the man being withdrawn.
Suarez flicks the ball beautifully through to Assaidi, but the Moroccan cannot find a Liverpool player in the box. Shelvey wins a corner from the follow-up.
Random fact about tonight's goalscoerer for Young Boys: Bobadilla has his parents' faces tattooed on his chest. That gem came courtesy of the great Gabriele Marcotti.
Back to the game, and it's Liverpool looking the more likely to grab a winner.
Gerrard swings in a vicious cross that Wolfli does well to keep hold of. Suarez was on hand to clean up had he spilled the ball.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Young Boys (Cole): Lovely Liverpool move! Suarez received the ball with his back to goal inside the box and laid it back to Gerrard, who slipped in Cole to fire between Wolfli's legs. Incisive.
That's Cole's final contribution, as Raheem Sterling is given a run out.
Michael Frey comes on to replace Raphael Nuzzolo.
Reina comes out for another free kick slung into the box and again fails to convincingly deal with it. Bobadilla easily got in front of him but didn't get his header on target.
Young Boys queue up the shoot on the edge of the area but Bobadilla can't get the ball from underneath his feet.
Mathias Vitkieviez comes on for Christian Schneuwly.
Liverpool have a free kick from around 25 yards and Suarez looks like he wants it...
It's Gerrard who hits it but it sails well over the bar.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-2 Young Boys (Zverotic): What a strike! Although it's right down Reina's throat! The ball took a slight deflection on its way through and was struck with real venom though!
We're going to have two minutes of time added on.
Sterling plays a reverse ball through for Henderson to reach the byline, but he fluffs his lines and nudges it out for a goal kick.
CHANCE! Suarez is inches from getting on the end of Gerrard's free kick! The referee blows for full time!
Liverpool 2-2 Young Boys
Written by
Michael Penkman
Michael Penkman
