The first twenty minutes were a scrappy affair but once Yossi Benayoun had put the Reds ahead the game developed into a highly entertaining game of football.
Benayoun's first Liverpool goal was an excellent solo effort. The Israeli international picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box, nutmegged Andre Bikey and then hammered home for 1-0.
The lead lasted for five minutes. A Reading corner was cleared to the edge of the 18 yard box where Bobby Covey was on hand to blast home the equaliser. There was a strong suspicion of offside to the equaliser as Leroy Lita was clearly in an offside position and standing in front of debutant goalkeeper Charles Itandje impeding his view. If the referee thought this wasn't interfering in play it proves again that officals know the rules but don't know the game.
Liverpool reclaimed the lead five minutes after the interval when Sebastian Leto won back the ball 25 yards out and played a defence splitting pass through to Torres. The Spaniard calmy slotted past Adam Federici for 2-1.
Again Reading equalised from a corner. Itandje came out to punch the ball clear, failed to get anything on it and John Halls scored at the second attempt through a packed penalty area.
Torres thought he'd won a penalty when he was clearly fouled inside the area but the referee, who'd allowed the Reading defence to kick lumps out of the Spaniard all night, waved play on.
It was a temporary reprieve for Reading. Subsitute John Arne Riise skipped past a defender and pulled the ball back for the waiting Torres on the edge of the box. Torres opened his body up and calmy hit the ball into the top right hand corner of the goal.
Torres then completed his hat-trick when sub Steven Gerrard's through ball left him one on one with the keeper. The striker rounded the goalie and slotted home to finish the game and send the Reds into round four.
