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Real Madrid logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Nov 4, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
Liverpool logo

1-0

Benzema (27')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Brendan Rodgers slams critics calling Liverpool's weakened team "reserves"

Brendan Rodgers says that players including Adam Lallana and Kolo Toure deserve more "praise" following criticism of his Liverpool team to face Real Madrid.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has hit back at critics claiming that the Northern Irishman put out his "reserve" players to face Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Rodgers left the likes of Steven Gerrard, Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson and Mario Balotelli on the bench at the Bernabeu.

Adam Lallana, Joe Allen, Lucas Leiva, Fabio Borini and Kolo Toure were among the players who came into the fold for the Reds' 1-0 defeat to the reigning European champions.

Some press in Spain described the starting XI as Liverpool's "reserves", while TV pundit Gary Lineker claimed that the team was "unbefitting" of a club of their stature.

"We had a gameplan against the best team in the world right now, to stay in the game, control," Rodgers said in this afternoon's press conference. "We then opened up the game with subs.

"I was proud of the players and the supporters, over 4,000 of them there giving the team a great backing. The criticism is unfair. To call Kolo Toure, Lucas Leiva or Adam Lallana a reserve? Those players deserve more praise than that."

On Saturday, Liverpool will take on league leaders Chelsea.

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Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League group B football match Real Madrid CF vs Liverpool FC at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on November 4, 2014
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League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Liverpool440012
2Sporting Lisbon431010
3Brest431010
4Inter Milan431010
5Monaco431010
6Barcelona43019
7Dortmund43019
8Aston Villa43019
9Atalanta42208
10Juventus42117
11Lille42117
12Man City42117
13Arsenal42117
14B. Leverkusen42117
15Celtic42117
16Dinamo Zagreb42117
17AC Milan42026
18Bayern42026
19Benfica42026
20Feyenoord42026
21Real Madrid42026
22Brugge42026
23Atletico42026
24PSV41215
25Sparta Prague41124
26Stuttgart41124
27PSG41124
28Shakhtar41124
29Girona41033
30Salzburg41033
31Bologna40131
32RB Leipzig40040
33Sturm Graz40040
34Young Boys40040
35Red Star40040
36Slovan Bratislava40040


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