Liverpool nabs victory in Premier League

(MENAFN- Arab News) LIVERPOOL England: Jordan Henderson scored one goal and set up another to lead Liverpool to a 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday ending his team's three-match run without a Premier League victory.

Adam Lallana ran onto a clever flick from Henderson to score his first goal for Liverpool on the brink of halftime at Anfield.

Lively forward Saido Berahino won and converted a penalty to bring West Brom level in the 56th minute only for Henderson to restore Liverpool's lead five minutes later with a shot from inside the area.

It was Liverpool's first league win since Aug. 31 although a patchy display will not convince critics that the team can go close to emulating its second-place finish of last season.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers decided against recalling Daniel Sturridge who is close to a return to fitness after a month out through injury and also dropped fellow striker Mario Balotelli after the Italy international's disappointing performance in a midweek loss at FC Basel in the Champions League.

It meant a rare start for Rickie Lambert but Liverpool was again lackluster going forward until Lallana's goal which was entirely out of keeping with what had gone before.

In fact West Brom had created the better chances mainly through Berahino before Lallana passed to Henderson got the ball back from the midfielder's deft flick and shot left-footed across goalkeeper Ben Foster. It was Lallana's first goal in seven matches since joining from Southampton for 25 million pounds ($43 million) in the offseason.

West Brom seeking a third straight win was offered a way back into the game thanks to a rash tackle from Dejan Lovren on Berahino and a poor decision from the referee who awarded a penalty despite replays appearing to show the initial contact was made outside the area.

Berahino got up and converted the penalty sending goalkeeper Simon Mignolet the wrong way from the spot. Liverpool now has just one clean sheet in 16 matches in all competitions



Hamburg stuns Dortmund Bayern routs Hannover 4-0

In Berlin Borussia Dortmund's alarming Bundesliga form continued Saturday with a 1-0 loss at home to previously winless Hamburger SV while leader Bayern Munich enjoyed a 4-0 rout of Hannover.

Pierre-Michel Lasogga's 35th-minute goal was enough for Hamburg to claim its first win at the seventh attempt. It was his first goal of the season and just Hamburg's second after Nicolai Mueller's impressive play.

Mueller intercepted Adrian Ramos' attempted pass eluded Sokratis and opted to stay on his feet as Erik Durm tugged his shirt in the penalty area before squaring the ball for the unmarked Lasogga.

Dortmund fans whistled their side at halftime.

Despite slight improvement in the second both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ciro Immobile had chances Dortmund had goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller to thank for saving Heiko Westermann's header and Lewis Holtby missed an open net from a tricky angle.

It was Dortmund's third defeat in four league games without a victory.

Former Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski and Dutch winger Arjen Robben both scored twice as Bayern stayed four points clear of unbeaten Hoffenheim which defeated Schalke 2-1.

Karim Bellarabi rescued a 2-2 draw for Bayer Leverkusen against Paderborn and Werder Bremen drew 1-1 with Freiburg.

Eintracht Frankfurt was hosting Cologne later.

Lewandowski got Bayern off the mark in the sixth minute controlling Rafinha's long ball on his chest before dispatching it with his next touch past Ron-Robert Zieler.

Robben capitalized on a mistake from Felipe to make it 2-0 seven minutes later and Hannover held out until Lewandowski claimed his second in the 38th.

The Poland striker again displayed wonderful technique to control Juan Bernat's long pass take the ball on and then shoot inside the near post.

Robben claimed his second with 11 minutes to play when he cut inside a number of defenders before unleashing inside the right post.

'It's always nice to score four goals again in front of our own fans' Robben said. 'It could have been more.'

Manuel Neuer easily dealt with a late chance for Artur Sobiech as Bayern went six games without conceding.

Bellarabi who was called up for Germany's upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers scored in the 90th minute for Leverkusen three minutes after Moritz Stoppelkamp thought he'd scored the winner for Paderborn down to 10 men after Marvin Bakalorz's red card for a bad tackle in the 72nd.