Fuente: © Arsenal
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LIVERPOOL FC: ON THIS DAY: MARCH 20, 2005

Liverpool earned the bragging rights as they overcame a whole host of injury problems to see off Everton at Anfield in one of the most important derby matches of recent years.

/noticias.info/ The Reds went into the match needing to win in order to maintain any hope of catching their neighbours in fourth place and keep their hopes of playing Champions football the following season alive.

With so much at stake it made for a breathtaking atmosphere and the Reds responded by surging into a 2-0 lead courtesy of Steven Gerrard and Luis Garcia.

However, injuries to Stephen Warnock, Dietmar Hamann and Fernando Morientes meant Rafa Benitez was forced to make three first half substitutions - the first time Liverpool had ever made three changes in the first 45 minutes of a competitive match.

And it got worse for the Reds as Luis Garcia also picked up an injury which effectively left them down to 10-men, although the Spaniard remained on the field right through to the final whistle.

The hosts continued to manufacture chance after chance with Milan Baros guilty of failing to finish off the Blues on a number of occasions.

It just wasn't the Czech Republic international's day and his afternoon was summed up soon after, when he received his marching orders 13 minutes from time for a late tackle on Alan Stubbs.

It meant the home side now had just nine fit players on the pitch and Everton took full advantage by reducing the arrears courtesy of Tim Cahill.

The Blues piled forward late on but Liverpool held firm to record an important 2-1 win and our 150th home victory in the Premier League - although they would eventually lose out to David Moyes' side in the race for fourth. notas_de_prensa_archivo