Benitez blames Mascherano red card for Portsmouth loss

Rafa Benitez believes the red card given to Javier Mascherano is to blame for Liverpool’s loss against Portsmouth. Liverpool slipped to their seventh loss of the season at Fratton Park against Avram Grant’s Portsmouth with goals coming from Nadir Belhadj and Frederic Piquionne.

Referee Lee Mason gave Mascherano a red card just before half-time, with Liverpool already losing, for a reckless challenge on Tal Ben Haim.

Benitez believes the red card flipped the game and favored Portsmouth as Liverpool lost balance and were reduced to ten men.

He said on Sky Sports, “If you analyse the first half we were doing well, even with their goal but then came the Mascherano incident.

“We were a good team in the first half and the sending off changed everything.

“We had some chances, we should have scored, we were controlling the game and everything changed with Mascherano.

“Now we have to hope we can win our next game.”

As a result, The Reds remain stuck in sixth place with only 27 points, 13 points behind Chelsea and having played a match more than The Blues.