LONDON – Jordon Ibe came off the bench to drive home the winner as Liverpool took a big step towards reaching the League Cup final with a 1-0 victory at Stoke City in the first leg of their last-four tie on Tuesday.
Ibe was summoned into the action early and the winger fired home left-footed in the first half as Juergen Klopp’s side grabbed a narrow but potentially priceless advantage ahead of the return leg on January 26.
Liverpool’s hopes of a record-extending ninth League Cup title were given a stern examination in the second half as Stoke piled forward in search of an equaliser.
However, a makeshift defence featuring Lucas Leiva and Kolo Toure stood firm.
The prize on offer is a place in the final against Manchester City or Everton who play the first leg of their semi-final at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
Klopp has bemoaned his side’s slow starts in several games this season but would not have been complaining as the visitors tore out of the traps, pinning Stoke back in their own half.
“It’s a strange feeling,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “I’m proud as it was a perfect reaction from the last game (2-0 defeat to West Ham).”
The German was more concerned by yet more injury woes as Philippe Coutinho and Dejan Lovren succumbed to hamstring problems in a high-paced first half, while Toure was limping at the finish.
“You saw it was a special game. A good game, lively, aggressive. But of course we have two bad injuries and that’s why I’m not only lucky tonight.
“It’s a big shadow over the game for us — the injuries,” he told his press conference soon after. “I don’t know how serious, and we have to wait for this.”
The eight-times winners were sharp and incisive although they again looked to be lacking a killer instinct in front of goal in the early stages.
It was substitute Ibe who broke the deadlock for the visitors, putting the finishing touch to a swift counter attack after 37 minutes.
