assifuah strikes back as sion stifle liverpool published: thursday 1 october 2015, 23.03cet liverpool 1-1 sion ebenezer assifuah struck on the break to cancel out adam lallana's early opener as the reds were held to a second 1-1 draw in group b.
adam lallana gives reds early lead from close range ebenezer assifuah equalises on break in 18th minute result means sion sit top of group b with four points liverpool have two after second successive 1-1 draw next games: liverpool v rubin, bordeaux v sion (22 october)
liverpool are still without a win in uefa europa league group b after ebenezer assifuah struck to earn didier tholot's men a point at anfield.
the reds had taken an early advantage through adam lallana but as in their opening fixture at bordeaux, they had to settle for a draw which leaves sion – victors over rubin on matchday one – two points clear at the group summit.
brendan rodgers will have hoped for better when divock origi forced his way to the byline and cut the ball back for lallana to turn in after four minutes.
liverpool might have had further goals in a bright start. following more good work by origi, jordon ıbe tested andris vanins with a near-post shot while danny ıngs had an effort blocked by jagne pa modou.
sion's equaliser came out of the blue after nathaniel clyne lost possession inside liverpool territory and the visitors' captain xavier kouassi lifted a ball over the home defence to assifuah, who got behind ıbe and poked it under the advancing simon mignolet.
that seemed to knock liverpool out of their stride, yet while ıngs had a goal ruled offside, the reds will still feel they had enough chances to win on a night when the fit-again daniel sturridge was not even on the substitutes' bench.
the second half began with ıngs testing vanins and kolo touré striking the bar with an overhead effort. origi later failed to beat vanins when played through by joe allen, while lallana was equally profligate with just the latvian to beat, the anfield crowd voicing their disapproval at the final whistle.
