Liverpool came from behind to defeat Israel's Maccabi Haifa 2-1 in a tense Champions League qualifier thanks to goals from new signings Craig Bellamy and Mark Gonzalez.
Chilean winger Gonzalez popped up with a goal two minutes from time, just moments after coming on as a substitute in his Liverpool debut.
But Haifa - whose players have spent the past few weeks living in hotels as their home city gets bombarded by Hezbollah rockets fired from nearby Lebanon - very nearly forced what would have been a famous draw.
Haifa took the lead on half an hour through Brazilian midfielder Gustavo Boccoli, before home debutant Bellamy equalised, seizing on Momo Sissoko's blocked shot to fire into the top corner.
Haifa delighted their tiny knot of noisy, green-shirted fans with some dogged defence, Argentinian striker Roberto Colautti even coming close to re-taking the lead after 15 minutes of the second half.
As Anfield grew increasingly anxious, Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez threw on Luis Garcia for Bolo Zenden, and then England striker Peter Crouch, surprisingly left on the bench for a one-man attack, replaced Bellamy.
Finally, Gonzalez was sent on with five minutes remaining, and scored a dramatic 88th-minute winner, firing high into the roof of the net after latching onto a Xabi Alonso cross.
The 'away' leg will be played at a neutral venue with either Kiev or Cyprus in the running to host, after UEFA ruled that it was too dangerous to hold a game in any part of Israel.
