AS Monaco may not be half the side that reached last May’s final against FC Porto — five survivors started last night — but it was still a feather in Benítez’s cap as he beds down on Merseyside that his Liverpool team should prevail against such prestigious opposition. Djbril Cissé, the £14 million acquisition from Auxerre, and Milan Baros, a substitute, scored the goals but it was Luis Garcí a, playing in the hole behind Cissé, and Xabi Alonso, partnering Steven Gerrard in midfield, who provided the élan Anfield craves. The margin of victory could have been far more emphatic.
With Olympiakos and Deportivo La Coruña drawing 0-0, Liverpool can be gratified to lead group A this morning. “It’s always important to win your home games, especially in a group situation,” Gerrard said. “They made it difficult for us but we worked hard, played well and scored the two goals. We limited them to very few chances on goal, which is pleasing. They had a little bit of joy for a spell in the second half, so it was important to get the second goal to kill them off, especially in the Champions League because you’re up against such quality.”
Quality was what Luis García and Alonso offered in abundance. The opening goal was borne of the speed of thought and the deftness of touch of Luis García and Gerrard. The Spaniard was fouled in the centre circle by Gael Givet and even before most of the Monaco players realised the free kick had been taken, Gerrard had played a one-two with Luis García and threaded a low diagonal pass into the path of Cissé . The France forward walloped home his first goal at Anfield with relish.
Benítez has shown bravery in his team selections, changing partners for the irreplaceable Gerrard again last night. Having left out Alonso, his £10.5 million playmaker, for the 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion, Benítez omitted Dietmar Hamann last night. There was some irony here, as Gerrard wrote in his captain’s programme notes that Hamann was his man of the match last Saturday, but Liverpool could afford to be more offensive with Monaco setting up so cautiously.
Luis García, fresh from his first goal for the club four days earlier, had the opportunities to make the game safe. From Gerrard’s wonderful swerving pass in stoppage time at the end of the first half, he had one header saved, while late on, he had time to let Steve Finnan’s downward header bounce across his body on to his left foot but contrived to shoot wide. Liverpool remained both fluent and penetrative but a second goal was called for. It should have arrived just before the hour mark at the culmination of a breathtaking move.
Alonso won the ball audaciously in the centre circle, played it nonchalantly back to John Arne Riise and Kewell weaved his way up to the halfway line before exchanging a one-two of such precision with Luis García that he was able to run clear of his marker without breaking stride. Kewell’s through ball was just as immaculate but Cissé, totally in the clear, shot too close to the goalkeeper.
Perhaps that miss promoted Benítez’s first substitution of the night as Cissé was replaced by Baros. If a £14 million club-record signing cannot finish the job off, maybe the leading goalscorer from the European Championship finals will.
Liverpool were offered a reminder that they could not afford to switch off in the 71st minute. When Soulemayne Camara, introduced as a second striker at half-time as Didier Deschamps, the Monaco manager, realised that with nothing ventured, nothing could be gained, crossed from the right, there appeared to be no danger. Jamie Carragher was tangibly unnerved when Jerzy Dudek did not claim the ball, however, and staggered as he headed behind for safety.
Baros’s goal, six minutes from time, provided the balm Anfield called for. Chesting down Josemi’s long pass, he dribbled to the byline, then back inside and, keeping his head down, shot round the goalkeeper. “We got what we deserved,” Deschamps said. “Our goalkeeper saved us from even worse problems.”