Liverpool progress despite shock defeat
Tuesday, 23 August 2005 23:06Defending champions Liverpool survived a shock Champions League scare before booking their place in the lucrative group stages of the tournament.
Five-time winners Liverpool were decidedly under-par at Anfield where a 1-0 defeat to CSKA Sofia of Bulgaria in their final qualifying round, second leg tie didn't prevent them progressing 3-2 on aggregate.
This was by no means the Reds' strongest side as Steven Gerrard, Jose Reina, Jamie Carragher, Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso were rested ahead of Friday's European Super Cup game with CSKA Moscow in Monaco.
The only goal of the game came in the 15th minute after a foul by Momo Sissoko on CSKA captain Emil Gargorov on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area resulted in Iliev scooping a first time shot over the head of goalkeeper Scott Carson.
It was the first goal Benitez's side had conceded at Anfield since Fabio Cannavaro scored for Juventus in the quarter-finals last season.
This gave the Bulgarians and their small pocket of supporters a huge lift as the third qualifying round tie was blown wide open. The Bulgarians still needed another two goals but Liverpool's error-ridden defence continued to give the visitors hope.
Yordan Todorov went close to embarrassing Carson in the 19th minute after an error by the Liverpool keeper while Yurukov continued to ask questions of the home defence.
There were signs of an improvement early in the second half as John Arne Riise went close with a couple of rasping long-range drives but Liverpool soon slipped back into their bad old ways as Mourad Hdiouad went agonising close to scoring a second goal for the visitors.
The impressive Sissoko hit the bar in the dying moments but Benitez knows his side will have to produce a much improved display if his side is to make a successful defence of the competition.
