PSV Eindhoven 0, Liverpool 3 (D,Post)

Apr 4 2007 by Ian Doyle

THE scoreboard operator in Eindhoven may have been in denial, but the message from Liverpool was clear enough last night.

On a night of European records, Rafael Benitez’s side took a huge step towards reaching the last four of the Champions League with an emphatic victory over PSV.

And this impressive performance and their growing momentum suggests a May date in Athens for a second final in three years is now a very real possibility.

Benitez will ensure there is no complacency during the second leg at Anfield, but when Liverpool confirm their semi-final place next Wednesday – as they surely must – neither Chelsea nor Valencia will relish the subsequent challenge.

In setting his team on their way under the gaze of co-owner George Gillett, skipper Steven Gerrard eclipsed the tally of Ian Rush by registering his 15th goal in the European Cup to become Liverpool’s all-time leading goalscorer in the competition.

It was also a landmark evening for Jamie Carragher, whose 58th appearance in the tournament surpassed the club record previously held by Phil Neal.

And Peter Crouch’s third, which followed a trademark John Arne Riise strike, ensured Liverpool posted their biggest ever away win in the Champions League proper.

The strike was obviously too much to take for the person operating the electronic scoreboard inside the Philips Stadium, instead informing a disgruntled home crowd their team had actually pulled a goal back before the scoreboard packed in altogether in the closing moments.

Nobody, though, can deny the force is with Liverpool.

Having struggled for goals throughout much of the previous month, it’s seven goals in four days for a team that, while still seeking perfect Premiership blend, have the ideal cocktail for European competition under Benitez.

Liverpool have now lost just two of the last 16 games on their travels in Europe, and while this didn’t quite match the gravitas of their memorable win in Barcelona in the previous round, with PSV nowhere near in the same class, it was no less impressive.

The Dutch side were considered the weakest team left in the competition.

The same, of course, was said of Benfica last season at the first knockout stage, and the Portuguese unceremoniously dumped the then holders out.

But while Ronald Koeman outwitted Benitez then, the PSV coach and his players had no answer to the questions posed by Liverpool last night.