Kuyt saves lucky Liverpool
A last-gasp strike from Dirk Kuyt helped saved the blushes of boss Rafael Benitez and earn Liverpool a Champions League windfall.
Last season’s semi-finalists were just two minutes away from the lottery of a penalty shoot-out with Liege when the Dutch striker pounced with a clinical finish from Ryan Babel’s left-wing cross. Before that, Liverpool were second best to the Belgian champions and had keeper Pepe Reina to thank for a string of fine saves.
Benitez then revealed that Liverpool’s victory had come at a cost with talismanic skipper Steven Gerrard expected to be out for “10-15 days” as he needs groin surgery.
It also means the midfielder is highly doubtful for England’s World Cup qualifiers with Andorra and Croatia next month.
“He has a groin problem, we knew it could be like this,” Benitez confessed. “He had a problem and now he will have an operation and will be out for 10-15 days. He needs to have it because he is having pain with it. When he went with the national team we knew he had a problem and in the first leg too.”
Kuyt’s dramatic extra time goal could well be worth up to £30m for the Reds in the long-run, but will not hide what was a dismal display which could easily have brought disaster.
Buoyed by their goalless draw in Belgium a fortnight ago, Liege started brightly with Reina forced to push Dieudonne Mbokani’s fine 20-yard volley round the post. Striker Igor de Camargo then missed the ball with the goal at his mercy before then crossing for Marouane Fellaini to volley goalward, only for Reina to keep it out.
Liverpool upped the tempo after the break with strike duo Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane both going close, although De Camargo came closest to clinching a late victory for Liege with a free header which just flew wide.
Reds full back Alvaro Arbeloa let fly from long range in extra time before Babel brilliantly floated over a cross from the left and Kuyt slipped his marker to slot home.