Rafa reprieved

So to the Champions League, always a favourite of ours here at World of Spurt and it was backs to the wall time for Liverpool at Anfield last night as they faced Italian maestros Inter in a clash which may have decided Rafael Benitez’s future at the club. After a managerial sacking the pundits always opine that it’s not one single result that matters, but in our experience every season reaches a tipping point which can often swing on one game.

But it's a fantastic game, with the Scousers starting brightly at tempo and Inter unbalanced by the sending off of perennial bad boy Marco Matarazzi after half an hour. Inter then dug in like ten limpets, Italian guile and exemplary defending seemingly ready to thwart the Anfielder’s ambitions.

The second half wore on without a goal and when Patrick Vierra handled in the area and it wasn’t given, it seemed like game over for Rafa. But soccerball revolves on the smallest of details and the introduction of angular goal pest Peter Crouch, an injury to stalwart defender Cordoba and the intervention of an Inter boot saw Kuyt score in the 85^th minute, while a trademark Stevie G drive sealed a memorable win for the hosts.

Still much to do at the San Siro, but Benitez will no doubt be breathing a little easier this morning