Hendo strike sees Reds progress
Liverpool progressed to the knockout stages of the Europa League on Thursday night after Jordan Henderson fired his first goal of the season to give the Reds a deserved 1-0 win against Udinese.
Only the efforts of former Liverpool goalkeeper Daniele Padelli stopped them from scoring a handful of goals on the night but the stopper was powerless to prevent Henderson rifling the ball past him on 23 minutes.
It means the Reds move into the last 32 of the competition as Group A winners after Young Boys beat Anzhi 3-1 in Switzerland.
After a cagey opening, the match in Italy came to life. Suso weaved between two defenders and arced a cross into the centre but Udinese drove the ball to safety, swept down the right channel and delivered into the middle, where Mathias Ranegie powered a header wide of Pepe Reina's goal.
Moments later Roberto Pereyra sped towards the Liverpool defence, fixed his gaze on the Udinese shirts streaming into the middle but, without warning, sent the ball in an entirely different direction and dipping towards Reina, who palmed over the bar.
Liverpool took the lead when Suarez turned a corner towards the far post; Suso received the flick, glanced up and saw Henderson demanding the ball to feet. The Spaniard obliged and rolled it into his path and the No.14 hammered past Padelli for 1-0.
A flurry of activity just before the interval culminated in Suarez sending an overhead kick flying towards the roof of the net from close range; however, Padelli somehow managed to push the ball behind.
The Reds picked up where they left off in the second half. Suarez drew two defenders towards him, creating acres of space for Suso, who should have buried the ball when it was slid into his path yards from goal. Suarez then sent a swerving shot inches over the bar five minutes later.
There was a scare for Liverpool when Pablo Armero spun away from Suso and sped towards goal only for Skrtel to head his cross behind. From the subsequent corner, Ranegie towered above the Reds' defence and sent a powerful header inches over Reina's crossbar.
Henderson thought he had grabbed his second just after the hour mark. Shelvey won the ball back in the middle and fed Enrique, who whipped an inch-perfect cross into the middle, where Henderson arrived and side-footed towards the top corner but Padelli saved again.
A fine ball from Stewart Downing then found its way to Suarez, who controlled before taking on two players inside the six-yard box and poking the ball towards goal. Somehow Padelli turned it behind with an almost impossible stop.
From then on it was a case of seeing the game out and after Giovanni Pasquale was shown a second yellow card for a dangerous tackle on substitute Raheem Sterling, the Reds held out for the win - and clinched top spot in Group A to ensure they'll be playing European football in the New Year.
Liverpoolfc.com journalists' man of the match: Jordan Henderson.