Takumi Minamino scored a first-half brace for Liverpool before Norwich pulled one back through Lukas Rupp's late strike.
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Takumi Minamino netted a double as Liverpool defeated Norwich City 2-1 at Anfield on Wednesday to enter the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Liverpool made ten changes to the side that defeated Chelsea on Sunday to lift the Carabao Cup but still managed to get the better of the Premier League bottom club Norwich. Though Lukas Rupp did give hope to the visitors with a late goal, the Reds saw out the final stages to go through to the last-8 of the competition for the first time under Jurgen Klopp.
Through to the quarter-finals of the #EmiratesFACup ? pic.twitter.com/FYTFZG3FRc
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 2, 2022
Liverpool started the match on the driving seat as Curtis Jones hit the crossbar with a fine right-foot curler inside the opening nine minutes. Few minutes later, at the other end, Przemysław Płacheta made a brilliant turn to get away from two Liverpool defenders before giving the ball to Milot Raschica inside the box, the Polish forward couldn’t control it under pressure and it fell to Teemu Pukki, whose effort went wide.
The Reds took the lead three minutes before the half-hour mark courtesy of some slack marking from Norwich defenders. Jones’ cross found Dovick Origi inside the box, and the forward had far too much time seven yards out to control and lay the ball for Minamino to blast home past Tim Krul into the back of the net.
Minaimo completed his brace on 39 minutes when Konstantinos Tsimikas corner fell to the Japanese international at the far post, and the 27-year-old had enough space and time to slot home past Krul into the roof of the net.
In response, Rashica drilled wide from outside the box. After the break Pukki played a perfect through ball to pick the run of substitute Josh Sargent but the forwards failed to hit the target.
Alex Oxlade Chamberlain cut inside from the left side of the box and fired a low shot on to the base of the near post. With 14 minutes remaining, Sargent found Rupp in space between the lines and, with no pressure on him, the Norwich midfielder unleashed a powerful right-foot strike that went past Alisson Becker into the bottom of the net from 20 yards out.
18-year-old Jonathan Rowe threatened to grab a dramatic late equaliser when he confidently went past veteran James Milner and tested Alisson from a tight angle. Liverpool eased through the final stages and held on to the slender lead
