Liverpool-Stoke City Report: Philippe Coutinho's Magic Goal Wins EPL Opener For Reds

Philippe Coutinho transformed an unremarkable first day of the season into a well of optimism with a single moment of magic because that’s what he does.

Liverpool defeated Stoke City on Sunday at Britannia Stadium in the teams’ 2015-16 Premier League opener. The game appeared to be hurtling toward a goal-less conclusion until Coutinho turned the result in Liverpool’s favor with a stunning goal in the 86th minute.

Neither Liverpool nor Stoke City impressed in open play, and the physical, aggressive game proceeded at a medium pace, as the teams struggled to create, let alone convert, scoring chances from start to finish. Liverpool and Stoke City had registered just three shots on goal before Coutinho fired in the winner.

No one reasonably would expect any team to play its best soccer in the first game of the season, but Stoke City-Liverpool under-delivered on those reduced demands. The managers, Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers and Stoke City’s Mark Hughes, organized their teams well enough to negate their opponent’s attacking moves. However, each boss’ tactical plan failed to surprise his counterpart and produced a game in which neither team gained or held firm control.

Rodgers’ substitutions boosted Liverpool’s attack in the last half-hour. Emre Can’s 63rd minute introduction gave the Reds a controlling presence at the base of the midfield and allowed the wide midfielders to push further forward.

Yet, the game desperately was calling out for technical excellence, as most of the players lacked sharpness and confidence to unlock the contest through sheer skill. Thankfully, Coutinho rediscovered the form that made him Liverpool’s player of the season in 2014-15 and scored the type of goal everyone knows he can score.

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Coutinho’s typical goal snatched two extra points from a game Liverpool doesn’t usually win.

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Main Talking Points

Stoke City thrashed Liverpool on May 24 in the 2014-15 season finale. The Reds waited 77 days to exact revenge. Mission accomplished. Liverpool didn’t overpower or outclass Stoke by any stretch of the imagination, but the Reds demonstrated the resilience and commitment that was sorely lacking 77 days ago. The Reds might have been happy to draw the first of seven tough road games. They’ll be elated to take three points from a game in which they deserved, and probably expected, only one.
James Milner, Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino, Joe Gomez, Nathaniel Clyne and Roberto Firmino made their Liverpool debuts. None delivered a memorable performance — only Milner’s yellow card appears on most stats sheets — but each of the six showed he can do the job Rodgers asks him to do for the team. The new players’ adaptations will take months in most cases, but at least five of the Reds’ eight new players have started their Anfield careers on sound footing.

Key Moment

Coutinho’s game-winning strike came when Liverpool need him most. Coutinho shrugged off Glen Whelann, cut inside and unleashed a powerful, curling drive past goalkeeper Jack Butland from 25 yards.

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Funny enough, Rodgers was seconds away from replacing Coutinho with Danny Ings for the last five minutes of the game when the Brazilian scored the game-winner.

Game in a Tweet

There’s no room for over- or under-reaction from Liverpool’s all-time leading goal scorer.

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