Published on 12:00 AM, March 13, 2017

Can the man lifts Liverpool

Liverpool's German midfielder Emre Can attempts to control the ball. File Photo: AFP

Emre Can's superb shot guided Liverpool to a 2-1 home win over Burnley on Sunday and maintained their bid to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Ashley Barnes, with his club's first goal at Anfield since 1975, had given Burnley a deserved early lead only for Georginio Wijnaldum to equalise in first-half injury-time.

And Can struck just after the hour mark to secure victory for Liverpool, although it was a far from convincing performance by Jurgen Klopp's side.

German international Can collected a short pass from Divock Origi and was allowed space to unleash a right-foot shot from 25 yards which the Burnley goalkeeper, Tom Heaton, might have been expected to save before it reached the bottom left-hand corner of his net.

Liverpool had gone in at the half-time interval level although it was a scoreline that even the most ardent home supporter would have admitted was harsh on Burnley.

With just two away points to their name all season, Sean Dyche's team took the lead in just the seventh minute.

Right-back Matt Lowton crossed low into the area from the wing and, after Andre Gray narrowly missed making contact, Barnes slid in ahead of his marker to force the ball past Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

A minute into first-half injury-time, Liverpool claimed an unlikely equaliser which raised the mood around the stadium.

Origi crossed from the left and Wijnaldum made a lazy attempt to control the ball, flicking out a boot and benefitting from a fortunate rebound from defender Ben Mee, before drilling home an unstoppable finish from six yards.