Liverpool Defeat Middlesbrough 14-13 On Penalties

Yes, the headline is accurate. Liverpool defeated Championship side Middlesbrough 14-13 on penalties Tuesday to advance to the fourth round of the League Cup. Liverpool took leads of 1-0 and 2-1 but were pegged back twice, the second time in the 123rd minute of play after Kolo Touré's ill-advised tackle in the box gifted Middlesbrough a penalty that Patrick Bamford buried.

But minutes later Bamford missed Middlesbrough's first penalty of the shootout, while Liverpool made their first four. They looked to be home free before Raheem Sterling—the best player on the pitch all night—had his penalty saved. That set off a string of 20 straight made penalties, including the hilarious sight of both keepers putting one past each other. Finally, mercifully, Middlesbrough's Albert Adomah missed his second penalty of the shootout to give Liverpool the win. According to The Guardian it was the longest penalty shootout in League Cup history.