English League Cup Third Round: Reading 2 Liverpool 4:There is no need for Fernando Torres to complain about Rafael Benitez's rotation policy when he produces finishing that merits a far greater stage than the League Cup.
Having been controversially left out of the starting line-up for Liverpool's previous two league matches, the Spaniard marked his return to the starting team last night with a wonderful first hat-trick in England which suggests actions might speak louder than words when it comes to forcing Benitez's hand.
How the Liverpool manager must have regretted his decision to begin with Torres on the substitutes bench against Birmingham. Torres's response was emphatic, the club-record signing scoring three times after the interval to smooth Liverpool's passage into the last 16.
The technique was of the highest quality, Torres opening his body to side-foot home his second goal from 12 yards before adding the coup de grace when he sashayed around the Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici before tapping into an empty net late on.
This was the first time that Peter Crouch and Torres had played together and their partnership threatened to get off to the most inauspicious of starts. Chasing onto Lucas Leiva's precise pass, Torres sought to outpace Andre Bikey in the second minute only for the Reading defender to make a wonderfully timed tackle to sweep the ball from under his feet. The Spaniard was clearly hurt, though, remaining on the ground and requiring treatment.
As the first half approached the halfway point Leroy Lita, darting in between Steve Finnan and Alvaro Arbeloa, directed a free header from John Halls' inviting cross straight at Charles Itandje. Punishment swiftly arrived. Ducking inside James Harper before nutmegging Bikey, Yossi Benayoun thrashed a right-footed shot into the roof of the net.
But within two minutes Reading had pegged Liverpool back, Bobby Convey executing a left-footed volley beyond Charles Itandje following Momo Sissoko's defensive header.
Liverpool, aggrieved that four Reading players occupied offside positions, appealed in vain. Parity was merited for Coppell's side, though, with their play bright and purposeful despite eight changes from Saturday.
Benitez's selection policy was similar, the Spaniard introducing nine new faces following the draw with Birmingham. There was an understandable lack of fluency to Liverpool's play in the opening 45 minutes. Indeed Convey might have put Reading in front on the stroke of half-time, the American pouncing on Lita's failure to connect in the penalty area only to see his right-foot shot from no more than eight yards beaten away by Itandje.
Torres had been relatively quiet hitherto - a first-half shot that was dragged wide after he rolled Bikey his only notable contribution - but that quickly changed early in the second half. Timing his run to avoid the Reading off-side trap, he latched onto the young Argentinian Sebastian Leto's measured through-ball, held off the challenge of Michael Duberry before looking up and steering a confident, low shot past Federici into the bottom corner.
Not for the first time, though, Liverpool weren't able to hold onto a lead. Nicky Shorey's inswinging corner caused consternation in the visitors' penalty area, with Itandje appearing vulnerable under the high ball. Having failed to punch cleanly the ball dropped at the feet of Halls, who saw his first attempt blocked before the rebound was prodded over the line by the Reading right winger.
Hope quickly faded for Reading, however, as Torres pounced twice to end the home side's resistance before departing with the match ball under his arm.
READING:Federeci, De La Cruz, Bikey, Shorey, Duberry, Fae, Halls (Kitson 80), Harper, Convey (Henry 80), Long (Hunt 80), Lita. Subs not used: Hahnemann, Cisse. Booking: Dubarry, Bikey, Fae
LIVERPOOL:Itandje, Aurelio (Risse 69), Carragher, Arbeloa, Finnan, Leto, Sissoko (captain), Leiva (Hobbs 90), Benayoun, Crouch (Gerrard 77) , Torres. Subs not used: Martin, Putterill. Bookings: Lucas.
Referee: M Atkinson