The "greatness'' that Gerard Houllier aspires to may still be some distance away, but functional served Liverpool well last night, as their relentless European march continued.
Sami Hyypia provided the English club with the slenderest of leads to take to Bayer Leverkusen next week, but the reality is that Liverpool rarely need any greater margin on their travels.
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Not even German optimists will fancy their chances against a side with an unbeaten away record in European competition that stretches back over 15 games and four years to 1998, and a UEFA Cup tie in Vigo, during Houllier's first season.
But as the first step on Houllier's "10 games to greatness'', it was a tentative one, and singularly lacking in the flair that the Anfield manager had called for.
Yet it was a significant and important one nonetheless, and, despite his cavalier pre-match words, one that the Anfield boss had planned all along.
The truth of this performance is that Liverpool believe that any lead on their travels is enough to put them in the semi-finals, and it simply doesn't matter how that victory was achieved. No one will argue with that.
Not when the combined might of the likes of Barcelona, Roma and German sides Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have all failed to bend their spirit on that unbeaten run away from home in the successful UEFA Cup campaign, and again this season in the Champions League.
Liverpool, in fact, are far more likely to score on their travels, and their record away in Europe during Houllier's reign is actually better than at Anfield. No wonder the Frenchman stated bluntly afterwards that he knows his side will now win this tie.
The danger was that Liverpool would throw away their chance at home, and they have their inspirational captain Hyypia to thank for that not happening.
Liverpool, at times, were too direct, too eager to concede possession with the long ball, and that is always dangerous against a side with the swift passing ability of Leverkusen.
But Hyypia ensured that the hosts did not pay, not only with a supreme defensive performance that had Terry Venables suggesting he is as good as any centre-half that has played for Liverpool, but with a skipper's goal when it mattered.
Liverpool, surprisingly subdued and cautious in the opening half, sprang to life as the interval approached, creating their first real chances when Vladimir Smicer headed wide, and then won a corner on the right.
Michael Owen, a strangely reluctant figure on the night, for once broke free of his shackles to react first to Jon Arne Riise's delivery beyond the far post. The striker pulled the ball back wickedly into the melting pot, and Hyypia sent it spilling over with an emphatic close-range finish.
It was perfect, given that it came just a minute before the break, shattering any Leverkusen illusions of security, and setting up a seething second half.
And worse for Bayer was a booking immediately afterwards for Carsten Ramelow that keeps him out of the second leg.
Liverpool will wonder if more adventure would have brought greater reward after the break, but they still largely dominated the game on chances, if not possession.
Riise twice came close to extending the lead, with a rasping left-foot drive and then a spectacular overhead kick.
Substitute Jari Litmanen came even closer - about two inches away in fact - to applying a crucial second goal, when he narrowly failed to get a touch on Danny Murphy's cross.
Add to that early shots, directed wide, by Emile Heskey and the excellent, powerful, Steven Gerrard, and Liverpool will argue that their functional approach could have provided even greater dividends than the lead they will defend so determinedly next Tuesday. Leverkusen, if they are to prevent the first all English tie in this competition since 1978, when Liverpool played Nottingham Forest, will have to do far better than last night.
For all the menace of their crisp passing and swift movement, they created only one real chance, when Ze Roberto found Michael Ballack with a delightful delivery, only for the midfielder to drag his shot horribly wide.
Nine games to greatness then, and Liverpool are still on course, even if they will have to inject just a little more flair if they are to fulfil Houllier's dreams entirely.