Match report

DUDEK'S ERROR WIPES OUT THE GLOSS
The Times 23 February 2005

SONGS of jubilation mingled with familiar curses last night as a fine victory, achieved in testing circumstances, was undermined by the latest in a long line of witless errors by Jerzy Dudek.

Anfield ?s reaction was tinged with confusion; without Steven Gerrard, there was proof positive that Liverpool are not a one-man team and further confirmation that their Poland international is a one-man circus.

A 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen would have been grasped hungrily if Rafael Ben£tez had been offered it beforehand, but his players had edged so close to perfection that the final whistle could only bring a twinge of regret. With a swirling free kick as the seconds melted by, Dietmar Hamann had earned Liverpool a significant advantage, but the final act belonged to Dudek.

With the Bundesliga side hurtling forward in desperation, Dudek allowed a shot from Dimitar Berbatov to cannon off his chest. His reactions had been faulty and he was punished when the rebound fell to Sena de Souza Franca, who finished adroitly. Leverkusen had been presented with a crucial away goal.

A 2-0 win in the BayArena would be enough to propel Klaus Augenthaler ?s side into the quarter-finals and while Liverpool will welcome the return of Gerrard from suspension, Bayer ?s record there is formidable. ?Bearing in mind we have already beaten Real Madrid, Roma and Dynamo Kiev at home, we have a chance, ? their head coach said.

Ben£tez, shying away from direct condemnation of Dudek, said: ?In football, you have to be aware and concentrate until the end. The only thing we remember is the last moment, but he had a good game. He has played well for me. ? There have been too many similar episodes, though, to restrict the list to this season.

So Liverpool did not make life easy, but at least they will approach Sunday ?s Carling Cup final in a positive demeanour. Luis Garc£a and the excellent John Arne Riise had foraged a first-half lead that they deserved more as the match progressed.

Given their invidious positionwhereby every result is scrutinised for its effect on Gerrard ?s future, there was much to be savoured. The 24-year-old, who was watching from the stands, had begun the day with a request for a ?realistic ? appraisal of Liverpool ?s European hopes - ?we realise that maybe it is not our year this year, ? he told the BBC - and if this was not quite a rebuttal, it was a positive response.

Leverkusen would not have been flattered by a half-time lead, but their swift movement and dominance in possession was undermined when it mattered most. Of three opportunities that fell the way of Berbatov, the first was punched away - hesitantly - by Dudek, the second fizzed narrowly wide of the left post and the third was a one-on-one howler that will give the Bulgaria striker recurring nightmares.

Liverpool were the opposite. They saw little of the ball and were frequently careless with it, but counter-attacked with precision and took their chances. On the quarter-hour, a through-pass from Igor Biscan scythed through the Bayer defence and Garc£a circumvented the offside trap to shoot with venom. After 35 minutes, with Harry Kewell felled by Diego Placente, Riise wriggled a free kick from 22 yards beyond Hans-Jorg Butt.

Berbatov had not been the sole miscreant for Augenthaler ?s side. Paul Freier had burst towards the byline, gliding past Djimi Traor£ in the process, but Robson Ponte, with the side of a boot, had prodded a free effort above the crossbar. Ponte, the Brazilian playmaker, also found Dudek when positioned well and frustration overwhelmed him when he was booked for fouling Riise.

He will miss the return, as does Freier, who was also cautioned. Given their impoverished situation - inconsistent form and no Fernando Morientes, Mauricio Pellegrino, Djibril Ciss£, Xabi Alonso, Florent Sinama Pongolle or Chris Kirkland - Liverpool were worthy of congratulations. The most meaningful absentee did not transpire to be Gerrard, but Jens Nowotny, Leverkusen ?s Germany centre half. Always incautious in defence, they were obliged to become more so in adversity.

Liverpool, roared on by the Kop, employed familiar tactics. Dudek was shown the yellow card for dawdling over a goal kick, but there was also space to exploit on the counter- attack.

Riise twice set up Milan Baros, but a mediocre header was followed by a blunt reaction, blocked proficiently by Butt. Dudek touched Freier ?s shot away for a corner. More followed. Hamann pounced, Dudek blundered.

LIVERPOOL (4-4-1-1): J Dudek - S Finnan, J Carragher, S Hyypia, D Traor£ - L Garc£a, I Biscan, D Hamann, J A Riise (sub: V Smicer, 89min) - H Kewell (sub: A Le Tallec, 77) - M Baros (sub: D Potter, 85). Substitutes not used: S Carson, A N££ez, S Warnock, J Welsh. Booked: Hamann, Dudek.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN (4-1-3-2): H-J Butt - B Schneider, J-I Callsen-Bracker, Juan, D Placente - C Ramelow - P Freier (sub: D Bierofka, 83), R Ponte (sub: L Donovan, 69), J Krzynowek - D Berbatov, A Voronin (sub: S Franca, 68). Substitutes not used: T Starke, C Fritz, S Dum, G Castro Randon. Booked: Ponte, Freier.

Referee: K Vassaras (Greece).

REDS IN DRIVING SEAT
SKY Sports 22 February 2005

Liverpool have one foot in the UEFA Champions League quarter finals after a 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield.

Rafa Benitez was without his inspirational skipper Steven Gerrard - suspended - and top marksman Fernando Morientes - cup-tied - but his tactics were spot-on as he masterminded a superb win.

Liverpool were unspectacular and rode their luck at times, but goals from Luis Garcia, John Arne Riise and Dietmar Hamann gave them the crucial win and surely a big enough advantage to take to the BayArena in two weeks - although Franca's late goal means Bayer are not yet dead and buried.

Things could have been different had Bayer took any of the plethora of chances they created in the opening period.

After a dour opening ten minutes, the game sprang to life as Bayer carved open The Reds with their first meaningful attack.

Paul Freier skipped his way down the right and past the hapless Djimi Traore before pulling the ball back for Robson Ponte, who could only sky his effort into The Kop from 15 yards.

A nervous looking Jerzy Dudek then palmed away a Dimitar Berbatov drive as Bayer looked the most likely to score.

Liverpool were seemingly happy to play deep and try and catch Bayer on the break and they did that with great aplomb just moments later. Igor Biscan, filling in for Gerrard, burst past two challenges in the middle of the park, before playing a wonderful ball through to Luis Garcia - who sprang the Bayer offside trap and fired the ball low past Hans-Jorg Butt.

Berbatov again tried his luck from distance as Bayer looked for a quick leveller and they should have got it when the Bulgarian was handed a gilt-edged chance by some poor Liverpool defending.
Steve Finnan looked to head a lofted ball back to goal, but his header struck Sami Hyypia and into the path of Berbatov - who had a clear run on goal - but with Dudek beaten he fired wide of the post from the edge of the area.

Ponte then managed to get an effort on goal but it was straight at Dudek as again the Germans pushed.

It always looked likely that the Germans would rue their missed chances and Liverpool added another ten minutes before the interval following a period of good pressure.

The goal came thanks to a controversial free kick as Juan clashed with Harry Kewell on the edge of the area, with contact only looking minimal. But Riise did not hang around and he curled home a wonderful free kick past Butt at his near post - although the German wall could well have done better.

With two goals in hand, Liverpool knew the match, and even possibly the tie, was within their grasp and they were happy to sit back and let Biscan dictate the play from the middle of the park - which he did brilliantly throughout.

On 54 minutes this point was illustrated wonderfully as the giant Croat majestically broke from his own half and picked out Milan Baros - who found Riise on the left, he skipped his way into the area before finding the Czech striker again - but he curled his effort wide of the post when he should have done better.

There was still danger for Liverpool though, and Bayer again missed a wonderful chance to grab an away goal. A nice move on the edge of the Liverpool area saw Diego Placente thread a neat ball into the area for Andrej Voronin - but the long-haired striker could only find the top of the net.

Liverpool's chances were almost solely coming through Biscan and again he created as he threaded through Kewell with just 20 minutesleft but the Australian fired into the side netting from the edge of the area.

Bayer were now pressing hard, but that only made Liverpool's counter attacking easier and they should have made it three when Riise played a sensational ball with the outside of his left boot into Baros's path - but again the chance went begging as Butt deflected the ball wide.

The resulting corner also saw a great chance fall to the home side as Hyypia headed down for Jamie Carragher, whose effort from two yards was well saved by Butt.

Dudek then showed he was equal to Butt, as he produced two great saves - firstly a 30-yard volley from Freier which he somehow managed to tip wide and then moments later he somehow bettered that as he blocked a thunderous volley from Bernd Schneider - making a rare foray up the field from right back.

Liverpool had been sitting back, while still dictating the play - but the last ten minutes saw Bayer dominate.

Substitute Landon Donovan had a good chance on the edge of the area, but he was denied by a great challenge from Carragher.

Just when both teams looked to have settled for the result - Liverpool struck again with another clinical set-piece.

Juan gave away another free kick on the edge of the area - this time fully justified. With Riise off the pitch, Hamann stepped up and he curled the ball over the wall and into the back of the net giving fellow countryman Butt no chance.

Still the game had something left as Bayer pulled a goal back with virtually the last kick of the game.

Berbatov fired in another long-range effort straight at Dudek, but the Pole spilled the ball and Franca was on hand to poke the ball home.

Liverpool had all but sealed their place in the last eight until Dudek's late error and although the lead should be more than enough for The Reds - Benitez will be fuming with his keeper