LIVERPOOL 3-1 BAYER LEVERKUSEN

match report
By J Wade
February 28 2005

Liverpool have taken the driving seat in their Euro tie after goals from Luis Garcia, Jon Arne Riise and Didi Hamann gave them the 3-1 lead.

Garcia and Riise both netted in the first half and that looked to be the end of the scoring until Hamann added a third in the 90th minute but Franca netted in the last minute seconds later. The late Leverkusen goal took the gloss of what was a hard-earned and impressive victory but the Reds are still in a good position ahead of the return at the BayArena in a fortnight's time.
 
With Steven Gerrard suspended and Fernando Morientes ineligible this was always going to be a difficult match against the side that eliminated Liverpool from this competition in 2002. Harry Kewell was back in Rafael Benitez's starting line-up after two months out injured, while Sami Hyypia captained the side in the absence of the suspended Gerrard.
 
It was Liverpool who applied the early pressure, forcing two corners in the opening three minutes but the first real goalscoring opportunities fell to the visitors. Freier cut in menacingly from the right and crossed to Ponte who fired over, then Berbatov tested Dudek with a stinging long-range drive that the Pole failed to collect at the first attempt.
 
But just as Leverkusen looked to be gaining the upper hand Liverpool made the all-important breakthrough. Igor Biscan's inch perfect through ball opened up the German defence. Garcia, having timed his run to perfection, latched onto the pass and kept his cool to finish low past Butt.
 
In what was developing into an entertaining end-to-end encounter Leverkusen should have drew level shortly before the half hour mark. Finnan's intended header back to Dudek fell way short but Berbatov somehow dragged his shot wide with only the keeper to beat.
 
Liverpool doubled their advantage in the 35th minute. Harry Kewellwas fouled by Placente just to the right of the German goal and Riise beat Butt at his near post from the subsequent free-kick with an exquisitely placed curling shot. 
 

The Reds emerged from the half-time break with a determination to score more and Baros, Kewell and Carragher all went close as the Leverkusen goal was put under siege. It was not all one-way traffic, however, and the threat of an away goal lurked menacingly throughout a tense second half. Voronin and Freier fired narrowly over and just wide respectively, while Dudek was forced to full off a fine save to deny Schneider.
 
In the final minute of normal time Hamann looked to have sealed Liverpool's passage into the last eight with well-struck free-kick into the Kop net but almost immediately Franca pounced at the opposite end to snatch a consolation that keeps this tie alive.

Teams

Liverpool: Dudek, Traore, Carragher, Hyypia, Finnan, Riise, Hamann, Biscan, Garcia, Kewell, Baros

Subs: Carson, Le Tallec, Smicer, Welsh, Potter, Warnock, Nunez
 
Bayer Leverkusen: Butt, Placente, , Bracker, Schneider, Krzynowek, Ponte, Ramelow, Freier, Berbatov, Voronin

Subs: Starke,  Bierofka, Fritz, Donovan, Dum, Castro Randon