Liverpool 0, Barcelona 1 (D,Post)

Mar 7 2007 by Ian Doyle at Anfield

Aggregate 2-2 (Liverpool win on away goals rule)

SOMEONE might have to tell George Gillett and Tom Hicks it isn’t like this every week.

Liverpool’s new American owners were on hand to witness another remarkable European night at Anfield as Rafael Benitez’s side earned a nerve-shredding progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The changing of the guard in the club’s boardroom was replicated on the field with Liverpool ending the reign of cup holders Barcelona and taking a significant psychological step towards regaining the trophy won in Istanbul two years ago.

Not a bad way to commemorate David Moores’s 16-year reign as chairman and the start of a new era at Anfield.

Liverpool achieved progress in a characteristically tense manner during an absorbing 90 minutes that encapsulated the strengths of weaknesses of Benitez’s side.

Surely one of the first things Gillett and Hicks will do is promise funds to the Spaniard for a new striker after Liverpool, as against Manchester United on Saturday, frittered away numerous openings before being struck by a late sucker-punch.

But it would be churlish to be too critical this morning. For now, Liverpool deserve the plaudits for deservedly dumping out the continent’s finest team, while their victory in the Nou Camp a fortnight ago can rightly be praised as perhaps their best away result in Europe.

Almost inevitably, it was Eidur Gudjohnsen – who memorably missed in injury time of the Anfield semi-final for Chelsea in 2005 – that stepped off the Barca bench to give the visitors hope with a well-taken strike. Had they snatched a qualification-clinching second goal during the remaining 15 minutes, it would have been a travesty after Liverpool had, their finishing apart, produced arguably their best performance of the season.

Steven Gerrard had warned his team-mates they faced an even more difficult game than the one in Barcelona a fortnight ago, where goals from Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise gave Benitez’s men a famous 2-1 triumph.

But the fact is a little more composure and a touch of good fortune would have ensured those away goals didn’t ultimately prove decisive and secured Liverpool’s passage long before Gudjohnsen caused the Kop to gnaw their fingers to the bone.

After all, until then Barcelona had barely threatened Pepe Reina’s goal. With the again-colossal Jamie Carragher leading by example and Daniel Agger growing in stature with each high-profile appearance, Liverpool’s defence smothered and harassed the Barca attack to the point of distraction.

It was almost too much for Ronaldinho, whose growing frustration mirrored that of his team, the Brazilian shoving Daniel Agger in the face during the first half then later aiming a petulant kick at Carragher after another timely interception from the centre-back.