FC Augsburg vs. Liverpool: Winners and Losers from Europa League
Liverpool and Augsburg played out a scoreless draw on Thursday in the first leg of the two clubs' UEFA Europa League round-of-32 tie.
Following his side's 6-0 demolition of Aston Villa over the weekend, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp named an unchanged side for the trip to Bavaria. But the Reds were unable to create the same attacking fireworks and will have to wait until next week to determine their European fate.
The second leg is scheduled for 25 February in Liverpool.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Marwin Hitz
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Neither goalkeeper had much to do all night, but Marwin Hitz was the busier of the two.
Early in the second half, Augsburg's stopper made a key intervention to keep the ball out of his net following a scramble in the box. After Kolo Toure failed to connect with a header from a free-kick, Paul Verhaegh inadvertently turned the ball toward his own net, but Hitz scrambled to save.
In the 71st minute, he produced another good stop to deny Alberto Moreno, keeping the game scoreless. In the end, Hitz's solidity in goal was worth a point for the hosts.
Losers: Neutrals
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Looking at the stats, one might almost think this was the exciting version of a scoreless draw. After all, Liverpool placed six shots on target, and Augsburg finished with a respectable 12 total attempts, per BBC Sport.
However, clear chances were in short supply throughout the match. Augsburg started well but couldn't turn their bright opening into a goal. Liverpool then improved shortly after half-time but failed to find the back of the net.
It resulted, of course, in a goalless draw but also a dreary 90-minute slog for neutral spectators.
Winner: Kolo Toure
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One player who managed to perform well was Toure, who turned in a strong shift at the heart of Liverpool's back line. The 34-year-old defender dominated his territory all night, cutting out the opposition's forays forward and keeping their top attackers completely quiet.
Per WhoScored.com, the Ivorian recorded 10 clearances to go along with one tackle and one blocked shot. Along with Mamadou Sakho, he kept Liverpool's box tidy with a minimum of fuss.
Toure's best days might be behind him, but on this night, his experience proved useful for Klopp and Liverpool.
Loser: Daniel Sturridge
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In the interest of fairness, we should note that Daniel Sturridge is only just now returning to full fitness following an injury layoff. If he doesn't reach his best form, it's at least somewhat understandable.
But as the most advanced player in Liverpool's formation, Sturridge's role is simple: score goals. The English striker had a glorious chance to do so, but he missed rather inexplicably.
In the 54th minute, James Milner played a one-two with Emre Can before fizzing a cross into the goalmouth from the right. The ball reached an unmarked Sturridge, who side-footed his first-time shot well wide of the target from close range.
The simplest of touches would have resulted in a goal, which probably would have turned out to be the winner. Instead, Sturridge missed his best chance and was substituted 14 minutes later.
Harsh? Maybe. But Sturridge should have buried the chance, regardless of whether he's fully fit.
Winner and Loser: Jurgen Klopp
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First the good news: A draw away from home in a European knockout tie is always a good result. Liverpool will now be favored to advance with the second leg on home soil.
Now the bad news: The second leg falls just three days before the Capital One Cup final. And since Liverpool didn't score in the away leg, a 1-1 draw at home would see them eliminated.
So, then. Manager Klopp knows he'll have to select a relatively strong side in order to advance. But with the Capital One Cup final three days later, his options will be limited.
If Liverpool had won the first leg, the dilemma wouldn't exist.
