PSV Eindhoven 0, Liverpool 3 (D,Post)

Apr 4 2007 by Ian Doyle

In trying to outwit Benitez once again, Koeman delved into his box of tactical tricks by starting the game with midfielder Vayrynen leading the attack instead of Farfan.

But that experiment was ditched before the break with Liverpool comfortably seeing out the half, PSV restricted to shots from range that were uniformly nowhere near Pepe Reina’s goal.

Liverpool went for the kill straight after the interval, and almost doubled their advantage moments after the restart when Xabi Alonso twice wasted decent openings in quick succession as PSV’s backline dithered and dallied.

But the Dutch team were made to pay for more chronic defending on 49 minutes when Timmy Simons struck a clearance straight at Riise, who took a touch before thumping the ball beyond Gomes from 25 yards.

After rocking Barcelona with his right foot, the Norwegian stuck to his trusty left peg this time.

That shattered what self-confidence PSV had remaining and, after Alonso was narrowly off target with an audacious long-range lob, another fine cross from the excellent Finnan was headed home by the in-form Crouch on 63 minutes.

With PSV gamely searching a consolation, substitute Mark Gonzalez, on for the unlucky Aurelio, came close to a fourth on the break with a pair of speculative efforts.

There was still time for Kuyt to ‘earn’ a yellow card in injury time for preventing a free-kick to be taken, ruling him out of the second leg through suspension and, more pertinently, freeing him for a likely semi-final.

It summed up a night when just about everything went right for Liverpool.

PSV EINDHOVEN (4-5-1): Gomes; Kromkamp (Feher 68), Da Costa, Simons, Salcido; Tardelli, Culina, Cocu, Farfan (Sun Xiang 46), Mendez (Kluivert 51); Vayrynen. Subs: Moens, Addo, Marcellis.
BOOKING: Kluivert (foul).

LIVERPOOL (4-4-2): Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio (Gonzalez 75); Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano, Riise (Zenden 66); Crouch, Kuyt. Subs: Dudek, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Pennant, Bellamy.
BOOKINGS: Mascherano (foul), Kuyt (unsporting behaviour).

REFEREE: Bertrand Layec (France).

ATT: 35,000.

NEXT GAME: Reading v Liverpool, Barclays Premiership, Saturday, 3pm.