Goals are not an optional extra if Benitez's side, trailing 1-0 from the first leg, are to continue their defence of their European crown. After Liverpool exhibited familiar failings against an organised, if uninspiring Charlton, Benitez will be rightly concerned by their continuing lack of firepower. Confirmation that Liverpool's luck was out came in the 90th minute when Robbie Fowler's clinical strike was harshly ruled out for offside. But a winner, no matter how joyously received, would simply have been papering over the cracks.
An impressive opening half offered much, and the game would have been as good as over had Thomas Myhre, the Charlton keeper, not been in such impressive form to deny a succession of Liverpool efforts, including two excellent saves from the typically frustrating Djibril Cisse. But having given it their best shot, Liverpool were alarmingly ineffectual after the break. The consolation for Benitez was that defensively, Liverpool were as sound as you would expect for a side who have conceded in just two of their 15 home league games this season, but even that record was tarnished by the loss of Sami Hyypia to a hamstring at half time, which threatens the foundations of the Merseysiders' back four.
Benitez's decision to name Xabi Alonso, Fernando Morientes, John Arne Riise and Steve Finnan among the substitutes somewhat undermined the Spaniard's pre-match claims that his thoughts would turn to Wednesday's Champions League return with Benfica only once this game was over. But with Cisse filling in on the right wing in front of Jan Kromkamp, the changes gave Liverpool a more attacking appearance, and the home side wasted little time in exerting their authority, creating three notable chances during a frantic opening 15 minutes that Charlton were fortunate to survive intact.
First Harry Kewell sent a superbly struck half-volley inches wide after Hermann Hreidarsson's weak clearing header, and the same defender was spared embarrassment moments later when his attempted clearance from Steven Gerrard's low cross looped tantalisingly over the bar.
The best opportunity, though, fell to Robbie Fowler, who collected the ball from Jamie Carragher 10 yards inside the Charlton half, turned, and was allowed to advance towards the edge of the penalty area from where he sent a curling left-foot shot narrowly wide.
Liverpool were in almost complete control with Fowler and Peter Crouch linking well together, and Kewell and Cisse operating effectively down either flank. Charlton, by contrast, were forced into an exercise of containment, and escaped from their own half only fleetingly with two hopeful, long-range drives from strikers Marcus and Darren Bent the sum total of their first half efforts.
Myhre saved superbly when Kewell met Gerrard's 34th-minute free-kick with a firm header, but he excelled nine minutes later to deny Cisse. The French striker seemed certain to end a two-month scoring drought when he directed a header inside the post after Crouch had flicked on Kromkamp's cross, before Myhre leapt acrobatically to his right to save. And Cisse would have been justified in taking things personally when, after collecting Gerrard's ball and turning smartly, he saw his powerful 12-yard shot again denied by an excellent save.
That flurry was to be the best of Liverpool's efforts and Fowler's late strike aside, the home side did little to suggest Benitez is close to solving his side's scoring problems.
