Liverpool 0-1 Stoke: Pirlo/Xavi/Heskey the hero

Joe Allen scored the decisive spot-kick, after Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet had saved two Stoke penalties in the shoot-out after the two sides could not be separated over 210 minutes of football over the two legs. Alberto Moreno rushed into, and lost, a challenge in midfield, leaving the entire left flank open to Bojan, who pounced on Walters’ lobbed through ball and played in Marko Arnautovic.

This would have collected in Liverpool’s last seven home league games and the first half is likely to be another cautious affair.

“We only decided the first five, but we recognised that Joe usually should shoot”, Klopp explained after the match. “We were the more dominant team but we are not going to Wembley, unfortunately”, he said.

Klopp will lead Liverpool out at Wembley on February 28, but maintained the occasion is all about his players. “We only go there to win and if the players have the same attitude, the same readiness and the same passion then we have a big chance”. “I’ve heard it would be really special for the city, but it would only be important if we win”, Klopp said.

Beale’s side doubled their lead in the 56th minute when Ojo’s low cross from the right hand side was bundled in by Jerome Sinclair.

Nathaniel Clyne is an injury doubt ahead of tomorrow’s League Cup semi-final second leg tie against Stoke City.

“The atmosphere was absolutely electric and now we can look forward to the final”.

Both sides had chances to add to the scoreline after the break and in extra-time but nobody could find the victor so the game went to the dreaded penalty-shoot out. The Liverpool manager resisted a change in personnel until the 58th minute, when Christian Benteke replaced the struggling Henderson, but there was a different, improved tempo to his team from the restart. The Austrian made no mistake alone with Simon Mignolet, but he was a solid yard offside, and the home side were rightly aggrieved at the linesman’s poor decision.

The anxiety around Anfield increased as Liverpool toiled for the goal that would take them to Wembley and Stoke absorbed the pressure comfortably.

The home fans’ boos became roars early in the second half as Liverpool looked to reassert their advantage, with Butland diverting a drilled shot by Firmino onto the post.