Rubin Kazan 0-1 Liverpool: Five talking points

Jordan Ibe made the difference in the Tatarstan capital as his first ever Liverpool goal clinched his side a vital 1-0 win over Rubin Kazan and bolstered their chances of progressing to the next round of the Europa League.Having beaten Chelsea at the Bridge last weekend, the Reds flew down to Russia riding a wave of confidence which certainly reflected in their play at the Kazan arena. The visitors flew out of the traps right from the first whistle of the game, and after a few moments of near misses, deservedly went ahead when Ibe scythed down the centre to drill a right-footed effort into the far post.The hosts appeared toothless for large spells of the match, and never really threatened to equalize. Their sloppiness made them pay a heavy price in the end as Liverpool would hold on to their lead till the end, consigning the Kamni to the bottom of the group.Here are the five underlining events from the affair in Russia.

#1 Rubin curse finally exorcised

There was an uncanny thing about Rubin Kazan playing English teams at home. The likes of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Wigan Athletic (yes, Wigan!) have all paid a visit to the Kazan arena when the sides met in European outings in the past, but the common aspect with all three Premier League outfits was that they all ended up being on the losing side.

So considering these past precedents, the odds were supposedly stacked against Liverpool. The two sides shared the spoils in the reverse at the Anfield, and a win in this tie was vital for Jurgen Klopp and his charges to harbor hopes of progressing to the round of 32.

Courtesy to Jordon Ibe, they achieved just that and at the same time, bucked the losing trend English sides. Liverpool though, never appeared to be in danger here. The home side lacked any kind of spark to keep holding the dominion over English sides at home, and were punished in the end when the 19-year old teen struck the blow.

#2 Firmino still struggling to gel in

There was a lot of anticpation surrounding the arrival of Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim during the summer. The Brazilian starlet had generated ripples in the Bundesliga since the time he joined the league from the Figueirense side in 2011. The signing was supposed to bolster Liverpool’s blunt attack and inject more firepower. But to go by his performances thus far, it has been anything but that.

Roberto Firmino hasn’t really hit the throttle with the Merseysiders yet, and his struggles to dovetail to his new surroundings were once again on show against Kazan. After failing to impress in his ‘False 9’ role against Chelsea, Firmino returned to his attacking midfield position for the European tie and the change had nary an impact.

The Brazil youngster found it hard to keep up with his markers, and was easily bullied into subjugation. His crosses were not threatening and he cut an isolated figure for a considerable amount of time.

Firmino is a hugely talented prospect and that was never in question. He has shown flashes of his brilliance in a Liverpool shirt in the past, but needs to bring it to the fore on a more consistent basis to make Liverpool’s £29 million expenditure count.

#3 Can continues to flourish under Klopp

One of the most consistent performers since Jurgen Klopp took over the reigns of Liverpool, has been no one but Emre Can. The German has dispatched one scintillating performance after other since moving to the midfield, and once again played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s win over Rubin Kazan.

Can kept the juices flowing from the centre of the park and had the home side under his thumb. The former Bayer Leverkusen man made key contributions on the offensive half, and provided an extra sheet of cover in the defence whenever the situation demanded.

Can couldn’t manage to flourish in his debut season last year when Brendan Rodgers always played him on the right of the back three. But after being thrust into his favoured midfield role, the 22-year old is thriving, and can be really instrumental to Liverpool’s fortunes in this season.

#4 A pep in Ibe\'s step

Jordan Ibe burst onto the scene in the Merseyside derby against Everton last season when he hogged all the headlines for his impressive showings on his debut, but couldn’t build on it as he would be played only in spells. With the departure of Raheem Sterling, Ibe was supposed to take up a more responsible role this term, and after starting a few games in the inital set of games, found opportunities hard to come by.

Ibe was given a shot at Kazan by Klopp when the German gaffer fielded him from the start, and after a some mediocre showings in the first half, stepped up to the plate with the winner in the second period to give the former Borussia Dortmund manager food for thought.

Gathering the ball from near the halfway line, the 19-year old slalomed past defenders to unleash a composed shot that trundled beyond the reach of the Kazan goalkeeper into the back of the net. It was his first ever goal for Liverpool and it came surely came at the right moment.

Even after such a match-winning performance, Ibe may be dropped to the bench against Crystal Palace at home this weekend. But if he continues to sparkle like this even in his bit part role, it is surely set to boost his first team chances.

#5 Klopp eyeing Europa success?

The Liverpool boss made a real statementwith the squad he took to Russia and gothis intentions known. Klopp had previously avowed to take Europa League seriously, and looks very much in it to win it.

Of all the fronts that Liverpool are currently contending in, the Europa League stands as a realistic opportunity for them to launch an assault at the title, and the 47-year old has his quiver full of arrows ready to strike.

Although the going is set to get a bit more difficult when they progress to further rounds, with Borussia Dortmund and Napoli appearing to be the strongest challangers, but with a wily strategeist like Klopp at the helm, Liverpool should fear no one.