Klopp’s Reds humble Exeter in FA Cup third round

Matt Haynes | January 20, 2016

Liverpool 3-0 Exeter City

• Allen scores opener as Reds dominate first period
• Ojo adds a second with great strike
• Texeira rounds off the night from close range

Reds race out of blocks

Liverpool showed their intent from the off against Exeter City in their FA Cup third round replay at Anfield as they pinned their visitors back with intent.

Evidenced from opening exchanges where, from the heavens you’d be forgiven for thinking you were watching a pinball machine in full flow.

Christian Benteke, the elder statesman on a field of fledglings among this Liverpool side, seemed determined to make a point to manager Jurgen Klopp. This couldn’t have been more evidenced from the first goal after 10 minutes, when he played pivot in a one-two with Brad Smith, smartly finding the youngster again with a reverse leaving him to fizz across the area with Joe Allen arriving to turn in.

In contrast to the match in the West Country, Exeter seemed to need a compass to find their waytowards goal and issued very little in the way of a response, however, while there was plenty of industry from the hosts, they couldn’t seem to extend their advantage.

Midway through the half, Allen found Joao Teixeira whose cross from the left was teed up nicely for Benteke, though the Belgian’s effort was wasteful, arrowing over the bar. A shot apiece from youngsters Cameron Brannagan and the lively Jordan Ibe summed up the rest of the Reds’ chances who needed to be more clinical in front of goal.