LONDON // Liverpool claimed a first victory at Selhurst Park in seven attempts to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals yesterday, coming from behind to win 2-1 against Crystal Palace.
Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge ran aground in a 3-3 draw at Palace last season and they lost 3-1 there in November, while Fraizer Campbell’s 15th-minute opener suggested a similar outcome was in store.
But the half-time introduction of Mario Balotelli tipped the tie in the visitors’ favour and after Daniel Sturridge equalised, Adam Lallana scored in the 58th-minute to give Liverpool a first win at Palace since 1997.
With captain Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling injured and winger Jordon Ibe cup-tied, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers brought Lallana and Joe Allen into his starting XI.
Palace manager Alan Pardew scored a famous semi-final winner against Liverpool as a player in 1990 and he had another goal against the seven-time winners to celebrate when Campbell broke the deadlock.
Martin Skrtel failed to clear Joe Ledley’s lofted pass and although Dwight Gayle’s brave header was blocked by outrushing Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, Campbell found the net with a tidy volley.
Liverpool piled forward and a flurry of chances saw Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni thwart Lallana, Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson, while Allen and Lazar Markovic shot narrowly off target.
At the other end of the pitch, Mignolet had to produce a smart save to deny Gayle in a one-on-one, but after Balotelli was sent on in place of Markovic to join Sturridge up front, Liverpool took control.
Sturridge equalised in the 49th minute, slamming a back-post volley between Speroni’s legs from Henderson’s clever pass, before Lallana scored the winner after Speroni could only parry Balotelli’s fierce free-kick.
