Rubin Kazan vs. Liverpool: Score and Reaction from 2015 Europa League

Liverpool beat Rubin Kazan 1-0 in the Europa league on Thursday to claim their first win in the group stage.

Jordon Ibe impressed throughout, and the 19-year-old scored his first goal for the club shortly after the restart.

Liverpool dominated from start to finish and should have had more goals as they lacked a clinical edge but otherwise put in an encouraging performance and recorded a milestone win, per Bleacher Report UK:

The first half was a fairly frustrating affair for the Reds who had better possession and chances but could not find a breakthrough.

Liverpool started in true Jurgen Klopp-style with pace and verve, and James Milner almost gave his side an early lead when he grazed the crossbar from close range at a fairly tight angle after some excellent work from Robert Firmino.

Milner and Christian Benteke saw a pair of speculative efforts from distance sail well off target, but the visitors looked dangerous.

They weren't able to convert their pressure into clear-cut chances though as they lacked that killer touch in the final third.

Their best chance of taking the lead came on the stroke of half-time when Rubin 'keeper Sergey Ryzhikov made an excellent save to keep out his own player after Solomon Kvirkvelia's disastrous attempt to head clear sent the ball goal-bound.

Squawka Football shared the telling stats:

The visitors' persistence was rewarded early in the second half when Ibe drove towards the penalty area and, from 18 yards, struck a lovely effort in off the base of the far post, per BT Sport:

Football writer Dave O'Connell praised the youngster, who stood out with his dribbling and willingness to push forward at every opportunity:

Ryzhikov showed strong reactions to prevent Milner from doubling the lead several minutes later, though he was aided by the England international sending his curling effort too centrally, and then got down well to deny Dejan Lovren and Emre Can from a pair of corners.

Ibe should have had a brace when the Reds counter-attacked following a rare attack from Rubin, but once again the solid Ryzhikov was on hand to save smartly, this time with his feet.

KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/Getty Images

As the match wore on, Liverpool's failure to secure the win with a second goal led to a somewhat nervy close, but the Russian side were unable to seriously threaten the visitors' goal.

Sion's 1-1 draw with Bordeaux ensures Liverpool remain second in Group B, but the vital three points keep them firmly in contention to progress with two rounds left to play.

The Reds are still adapting to life under Klopp, but once they add a ruthless edge to their finishing, they will be a real force throughout the tournament.

Post-Match Reaction

Klopp praised his team's efforts in the match, though he admitted his side should have been more comfortable in the final 10 minutes of the game. Per the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce, he said:

"

The first 80 minutes were really good. It wasn't easy to play in such a fantastic atmosphere in the stadium. On that pitch it wasn't easy for the team to keep possession.

But we did really well. We would have liked more but we had our chances. We dominated the first half and we deserved our goal in the second half.

"

He also took the time to single out Ibe's performance, adding: "Jordon is a really good lad. He's a skilful player and a big talent—fast, strong, good at dribbling. He has to learn so much but has a real good base. He feels good in this moment. You could see it in this match."