Holders driven on by Gerrard
Last updated : 03 August 2005 By Daily Telegraph
The catalyst of Liverpool's Champions League victory last May registered his seventh goal in pre-qualifying for this term's competition, joining Djibril Cisse, who volleyed a fine late goal, in rubber-stamping the team's progression from the second qualifying round.
With two sides now through to the third qualifying round of the Champions League, European fever sweeps through Stanley Park. Queues snaked around Goodison yesterday, with Everton fans scrambling to acquire tickets for next week's qualifier against Villareal.
Back here at Liverpool, officials were smiling at news that their trophy-filled museum hosted far more visitors over the summer than even that top tourist attraction, the Beatles Story museum. Anfield 1 Strawberry Fields 0.
Rafa Benitez's plans to add to the club's silverware collection continues apace with further reshaping of his squad. Two players left Anfield yesterday on season-long loans, Anthony Le Tallec to Sunderland, while Carl Medjani had scarcely unpacked his bags before heading off to Metz. Milan Baros has indicated he would not be averse to a move to Everton, though much might depend on the seriousness of Peter Crouch's injury.
If Everton do get Baros, they will need to act with rare speed. The striker must be registered by midnight tomorrow to be eligible for the Villareal test. Benitez ensured the Czech Republic international was not cup-tied by again leaving Baros far from the pitch, even the bench. Baros sat up in the stands, keeping one eye on a modest match and the other on the text-messages flooding into his mobile phone.
It was an illustrious bench, with Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Xabi Alonso and initially Cisse all kept in reserve for more arduous tasks ahead. Liverpool's next Champions League engagement here, the visit of CSKA Sofia (most probably) or Tirana, will be their 250th European game and worth a minimum of £15 million if they qualify for the group stage of the Champions League.
In keeping the powder of some of his top guns dry, Benitez played the rotation game against Kaunas whose lack of ambition in the first half was bizarre, as was the decision to leave the excellent Arkadiusz Klimek on the bench until half-time. Klimek had given Sami Hyypia some alarming moments out in Lithuania.
Hyypia captained an experimental-looking Liverpool side, though Anfield made appreciative sounds at some neat touches from Momo Sissoko, who ran around midfield enthusiastically.
One of the tallest front pairings to grace European football, Morientes and Crouch occasionally attacked the same ball aerially, but otherwise sought each other out diligently in a low-key first half.
Benitez replaced Morientes with Cisse at half-time, attacking the Kop with his first-choice front line. Within six minutes Crouch had found Cisse out on the right-hand side of the Kaunas box and the French international's drive flashed just wide. Sadly, the partnership did not last long. Crouch pulled up lame, feeling his right hamstring, and limped away.
Liverpool had their chances, and Luis Garcia and everyone on the Kop were convinced that Dainius Kunevicius had handled, but the Italian referee waved play on. Kaunas were showing limited ambition and players on £50 a week seemed almost in awe of their hosts, the European champions. Nukri Manchkhava did momentarily trouble Scott Carson, Liverpool's keeper, with a shot that slid wide, to the relief of all but a handful of the 43,717 present.
Liverpool were at last building up steam, finding colleagues with better passes, really threatening the Kaunas goal. Zenden let fly with a volley that the FBK centre-half, Irmantas Zelmikas, did well to clear.
From the ensuing corner, a curving delivery from Didi Hamann, the ball crashed off the bony forehead of Hyypia and flew on to the bar, setting the frame rattling. The Kop heaved a sigh of frustration as the ball bounced clear.
Then Gerrard emerged from the bench like a gladiator into the Colosseum.
Within four minutes Gerrard had made his mark, drilling in a ball from the left which cannoned off Sarunas Kilijonas's leg and into the net. With five minutes remaining, a Zenden throw-in was crossed by Garcia and met by Cisse.
