KUALA LUMPUR, Former French international Djibril Cisse stole the limelight with a hattrick that propelled the Liverpool Reds to a 4-2 victory over Manchester Reds in the Battle of the Reds exhibition match at National Stadium in Bukit Jalil here tonight.
Playing in front of around 10,000 local fans of both clubs, Cisse showed that he still had the footballing skills that made him a mainstay in the French team during his prime, scoring the opening goal for the Liverpool Reds in the 16th minute.
The Manchester Reds were quick to equalise with former Manchester United striker, Dimitar Berbatov heading in a cross from Danny Webber just a minute later, and the MU Reds went a step further, with Webber finding the back of the net in the 39th minute, to put the match 2-1 in their favour.
Cisse, an alumni of the triumphant 2004/2005 UEFA Champions League Liverpool team seemed undeterred and went on to convert two penalties, in the 44th and 51st minute, to complete his hattrick put his team in an enviable 3-1 lead
.
Manchester Reds, coached by sensational former striker Dwight Yorke, had a golden opportunity to score, but Yorke himself bungled the penalty, which hit the post, in the 75th minute and Liverpool Reds left nothing else to chance with a swift counterattack that climaxed with Florent Sinama beating keeper Paul Rachubka in the 76th minute to secure a emphatic 4-2 victory.
All throughout the match, local Manchester United and Liverpool fans expressed their delight in being able to watch the players, many of them football legends in their own rights, display some of the footballing skills and magic that so enthralled the entire footballing world during their prime.
The Manchester Reds line up included such luminaries such as Wes Brown, who wore the captain’s armband for the match, David May, Clayton Blackmore, Eric Djemba Djemba, Mikael Silvestre, Quinton Fortune and Lee Martin.
Luis Garcia was the Liverpool Reds team captain, and led some of Anfield’s finest tonight, including Emile Heskey, Glen Johnson, Jo
hn Arne Riise, Steve McManaman, Jermaine Pennant, Phil Babb, Patrik Berger and Vladimir Smicer.
The Battle of the Reds is supported by the Malaysian Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, the Youth and Sports Ministry, Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia and the Football Association of Malaysia.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency