News desk: Liverpool completed a difficult week with a frustrating 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday that did little to enhance their prospects of finishing in the Premier League’s top four.

Thrashed 5-2 at home by Real Madrid in their Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday, Juergen Klopp’s inconsistent side laboured against a Palace team who kept a first clean sheet against Liverpool for 18 years.

The Reds moved up a place to seventh, six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand.

Without a win in eight league games, Palace are 12th, six points above the relegation zone.

Mohamed Salah hit the woodwork for Liverpool in the second half but Palace had two gilt-edged chances in the first period with Marc Guehi heading wide and Jean-Philippe Mateta firing a shot against the crossbar.

Liverpool will take some comfort from a third successive league clean sheet but they were well short of their best as they struggled to find any rhythm.

“We’d like a better performance and three points but we didn’t get that,” midfielder James Milner said.