Liverpool never make it easy - not in Istanbul and certainly not in their own backyard tonight - but they ground out the solitary point with a scoreless draw against Real Betis to reach the knock-out stages of this season's Champions League.
Real Betis were dangerous opponents throughout, knowing a win would give them a wonderful chance of staying in the competition.
The Spaniards gave it everything and worried Liverpool all evening but the holders had enough chances - with Peter Crouch again spurning several good opportunities - to have settled the issue long before the end.
Instead the Reds showed the strength of character and defensive organisation to protect the point they wanted, and they now progress to the last 16 after Christmas.
Liverpool were without their Spanish duo of Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia after both failed to recover from injuries sustained during the defeat of Portsmouth on Saturday, and manager Rafael Benitez left Djibril Cisse on the bench.
The visitors, even though they were without injured strikers Ricardo Oliveira and Dani, showed just two changes from the side beaten by Liverpool in Seville back in September with Xisco Munoz starting up front and Alberto Rivera in midfield.
And the Spanish side were instantly on the attack; a clever chip almost put Joaquin Sanchez in behind Liverpool's defence but Jose Reina was quickly off his line to mop up.
Betis worked at a cracking pace, pinging crisp passes around midfield and Liverpool were chasing shadows early on.
It took a long time for Liverpool to get into the game but when Oscar Lopez was booked for a foul on Mohamed Sissoko it gave the holders the chance to advance into the Betis box for the first time, and when the free-kick was pumped forward Crouch took it down and saw a fierce shot on the turn saved by goalkeeper Antonio Doblas.
That changed the complexion of the half. Crouch saw another effort deflected for a corner and, when Gerrard swung the flag-kick into the box, the giant striker rose to head wide.
Crouch had suddenly sprung into life and when Gerrard fired in a low cross from the right, the £7million man dived forward to see a header flash inches wide from six yards.
Forty seconds into the second period Bolo Zenden and Steven Gerrard forced the ball into Fernando Morientes' path but David Rivas hurled himself in the way of it to deny the Spaniard and send it out for a corner.
Then Sami Hyypia rose to head a Gerrard corner over the bar with Liverpool now searching for the goal that would give them breathing space against very dangerous opposition.
Morientes set up Crouch for a ferocious volley which smashed into Rivas' arm, but French referee Eric Poulat turned down appeals for a penalty.
Then Zenden then fired in a cross, Crouch nodded it down and Morientes fired wide from 12 yards out as Liverpool continued their search for a goal.
Cisse was thrown into the fray to replace Morientes, the Frenchman immediately onto the right with Gerrard taking a more central role.
The chances kept coming Liverpool's way. Crouch set up Gerrard but his shot was too close to Doblas, and then the former Southampton striker himself headed Cisse's cross wide.
That elusive first goal for his new club seemed as far away as ever and when Harry Kewell took his place on 83 minutes, Crouch knew he would have to wait for another day.
Gerrard could have clinched it when he was put clear by Kewell, but his shot was palmed away by Doblas to further increase the tension - just to show it is not just Crouch that can miss.
Liverpool spent the final seconds defending in depth and praying for the whistle. It should have been cut and dried by then.
Seconds later Darren Potter took over from Gerrard to waste some more time in the desperate final minutes before the whistle sounded and Liverpool celebrated qualification for the next stage.
