7 March 2007, by Sean Gillen

Liverpool knock out holders Barcelona

Liverpool 0-1 Barcelona (Agg. 2-2)

Holders Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League on away goals after they could only manage a 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday night.

The Spanish champions produced a disappointing performance and the win on the night, thanks to substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen’s late goal, flattered them as Liverpool had the better of the chances on a tense night on Merseyside.

Deco: “The first leg turned out to be decisive”

Throughout the first period the hosts looked the more likely to open the scoring, with Norwegian left-back John Arne Riise shooting wide early on before cracking a 20-metre volley off the crossbar.

Barca struggled to establish a good rhythm, with Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi both struggling to receive possession in advanced positions. A rare attacking threat from the La Liga side resulted in Jamie Carragher blocking Deco on the edge of the area, but they looked unlikely to score the first of the two goals needed to qualify.

Goalkeeper Victor Valdes kept the visitors in the game with a tremendous double save from Bellamy and Kuyt, before his poor clearance allowed Sissoko to smash another effort off the bar from long range.

The second half continued in much the same way, with Liverpool putting Barca under immediate pressure and Bellamy again came close to scoring within a minute of the re-start.

Deco-Ronaldinho combination

Both Deco and Ronaldinho had been having quiet evenings until the two combined to almost give Barca a shock lead. Portuguese international Deco slid a pass through to Ronaldinho and the Brazilian turned away from Carragher and burst through on goal, only to thunder his finish against the post.

Barca improved slightly after the Ronaldinho chance, but Liverpool remained the more dangerous side going forward and Kuyt shot wide from 25 metres and Gerrard forced Valdes into a save from a tight angle.

The complexion of the match suddenly changed when substitute Gudjohnsen put the away side into the lead with fifteen minutes left. Xavi fed the ball through to the former Chelsea forward inside the penalty area, and Gudjohnsen kept his cool to round Reina and pass the ball into the net.

With Barca still needing another goal, they almost struck again immediately afterwards. Giuly broke down the right and cut the ball back for Ronaldinho, but Los Cules’ star man produced a weak finish that Reina easily saved.

Liverpool managed to weather the storm, however, and the closing stages of the match were played inside the Barca half as Gerrard shot straight at Valdes after cutting inside Iniesta and substitutes Crouch and Pennant both wasted good chances.

The result sees Barca’s hopes of becoming the first team to win successive Champions League crowns come to premature end, and they must now focus on Saturday’s showdown with arch rivals Real Madrid at the Nou Camp.

Liverpool:
Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa, Gerrard, Sissoko, Alonso, Riise (Aurelio 77), Kuyt (Crouch 89), Bellamy (Pennant 67)
Yellow Cards: Arbeloa (17), Sissoko (20), Pennant (80), Reina (81)

Barcelona:
Valdes, Thuram (Gudjohnsen 71), Marquez, Puyol, Oleguer, Xavi, Iniesta, Deco, Messi, Eto'o (Giuly 61), Ronaldinho
Yellow Cards: Thuram (29)

Goals:
[0-1] Gudjohnsen, 75