Liverpool vs. Middlesbrough: Winners and Losers from Capital One Cup Game
Middlesbrough twice restored level terms at Anfield, but after pushing Liverpool to the limit in the penalty shootout, they finally bowed out of the Capital One Cup at the third round.
Albert Adomah missed the crucial spot-kick for the guests, who despite converting 13 of their attempts were beaten by the Premier League outfit and their 14 conversions.
Liverpool, despite dominating possession through the 120 minutes, simply could not put the game to bed although Middlesbrough did well to take their opportunities when presented.
After extra time, the match was knotted at two goals apiece, and the memorable penalty competition ensued.
Following are some of the winners and losers from an incredible night at Anfield.
Winner: Jordan Rossiter, Who Scored on His Debut
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Jordan Rossiter first put on a Liverpool shirt as a six-year-old, and on Tuesday, he enjoyed a dream debut for his boyhood club.
After just 10 minutes and a series of failed Middlesbrough clearances, the 17-year-old calmly stroked the ball into the back of the net to open his Reds account.
At the time of his withdrawal in the 79th minute, he had touched the ball 75 times and completed 91 percent of his passes, according to WhoScored.com.
Loser: Jamal Blackman, Who Gifted Rossiter the Opener
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Liverpool might have gone back down the tunnel with a 1-0 lead at the break, but despite an obvious territorial advantage, they had the opposition goalkeeper to thank for their only goal of the first 45 minutes.
Initially coming off his line to deny Rickie Lambert, Jamal Blackman was completely out of position when Jordan Rossiter slipped the ball through a crowd and into the back of the net in the 10th minute.
He and his defenders were similarly at sea when Suso restored Liverpool's lead in extra time.
Winner: Grant Leadbitter, Who Was Middlesbrough’s Engine
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Until his exit in the 112th minute, Grant Leadbitter never stopped working.
He and George Friend routinely tortured Liverpool right-back Javier Manquillo during the first half, and shortly after the hour mark, the Middlesbrough midfielder helped his side get on the scoreboard.
Following Mamadou Sakho's handball just outside the Liverpool box, Leadbitter delivered an accurate free-kick that Adam Reach was able to slip into the back of the net at the far post.
Winner: Suso, Who Opened His Liverpool Account
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Suso represented Liverpool on 20 occasions in 2012-13 but failed to score a single goal before going on loan to Almeria last season.
He tallied three goals in La Liga.
But on Tuesday, the 20-year-old finally opened his Liverpool account when he put the Reds back in front in the 109th minute.
Loser: Rickie Lambert, Who Had a Poor Outing
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Rickie Lambert not only started up top for Liverpool on Tuesday, but he also captained the side from the opening kick-off.
Nevertheless, the former Southampton striker made little impact before being substituted by Mario Balotelli in the 74th minute.
Before his exit, the 32-year-old took only a single shot and generally slowed his side's build-up play to the sort of pedestrian pace that made Middlesbrough's defensive work that much easier.
Winner: Jose Enrique, Who Impressed for the Reds
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Jose Enrique might have been better positioned when Mamadou Sakho handled Albert Adomah's cross, but the Spaniard was generally able to keep the Middlesbrough winger in his back pocket over the 120 minutes and also linked up nicely with Adam Lallana down the left.
Liverpool have struggled to get consistently effective performances out of their full-backs in recent seasons, but with Alberto Moreno doing well in Brendan Rodgers' preferred XI, it would seem the manager has another option at the position.
Enrique also converted both his attempts from the penalty spot.
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