Liverpool held to a goalless draw by FC Utrecht
Reds fail to build any head of steam in Europa League stalemate
Liverpool's Europa League campaign continued on Thursday night with a goalless draw against FC Utrecht.
The Reds, who had already secured qualification for the last 32, fielded a much-changed side and failed to build any real head of steam against a Utrecht side who were also unable to qualify for the knockout stages.
The best chance of the first half fell to Utrecht's Dries Mertens, but his angled shot was well saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina.
Liverpool had a chance to take the lead shortly after the break when Raul Meireles headed a Michael Silberbauer effort off the line.
The Reds continued to press for a winner, but Utrecht defended resolutely and held on for a point.
The result means that Liverpool finish top of Group K, while Utrecht finish bottom.
Ton du Chatinier's quotes
FC Utrecht manager Ton du Chatinier was pleased with his team's performance.
"I'm very happy with the way we played tonight," he said. "We were organized and disciplined, and we created a number of good chances.
"We knew that Liverpool would be a tough opponent, but we were not afraid of them. We played our own game and deserved a point."
What's next?
Liverpool will return to Premier League action on Sunday when they travel to West Ham United.
Utrecht will finish their Europa League campaign with a dead rubber against Napoli on December 11.
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