[lfc-news] Graz report - PA

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PA Sport, 10 Aug 2004
Graz AK 0 Liverpool 2

Two fine goals from Steven Gerrard sent Liverpool to the brink of the
Champions League group stages with a convincing third qualifying round
first leg victory in Austria.

With their chief goalscorer Michael Owen on the bench to avoid being
cup-tied with transfer fever in the air, up stepped Gerrard to grab two and
be denied a hat-trick when another shot was disallowed for a colleague's
infringement.

Liverpool should be able to complete the job at Anfield in a fortnight, but
whether Owen is still around by then is anyone's guess.

A stunning goal from Steven Gerrard put Liverpool ahead in the Arnold
Schwarzenegger stadium as the Anfield men sought to reach the group stages
of the Champions League.

Without Michael Owen - on the bench and therefore not cup-tied should a
transfer come his way - Gerrard led by example with a dominant midfield
display and a goal to match with a 30-yard shot.

Rafael Benitez gave £2million new boy Josemi his debut at right-back, with
Milan Baros partnering another new signing Djibril Cisse up front in place
of Owen.

Steve Finnan was asked to play on the right of midfield while Jamie
Carragher plays at centre-back and John Arne Riise at left-back.

The speculation over Owen, the sale of Danny Murphy and the loss of a dozen
players this summer from Liverpool's squad has given Benitez a crisis in
his very first game as manager.

And they face a side who have just won the Austrian double, are top of
their league again four games into the season, and believing they can catch
Liverpool when their match fitness and concentration are suspect.

And AK coach Walter Schachner was able to field his strongest team with
Roland Kollmann, the 27-goal top scorer from last term.

With Benitez urging and instructing from the edge of his technical area
from the first seconds, Liverpool pressed forward with confidence and
possession with Josemi and Cisse instantly into the action.

Liverpool won a string of free-kicks for somewhat wild challenges and from
a third minute set piece, they almost took the lead.

Finnan curled the ball into the box and Sami Hyypia rose highest to send a
towering header goalwards that Andreas Schranz spectacularly tipped over
the bar.

On 13 minutes Liverpool should have taken the lead when a fine piece of
inter-play ended with Steven Gerrard's instant through ball that sent Baros
clear.

Defenders were closing but the Czech hitman - who made such a habit of
scoring from positions like this in Euro 2004 - saw his low shot saved by
Schranz's legs.

That was a break in what was becoming increasing possession for the
Austrians, as they sought to get the ball into space for Kollmann, who was
being marshalled by Carragher.

Diving and free-kicks were plentiful, with both Josemi and Harry Kewell
harshly penalised, but it sought to give Graz more of the play and
dangerous set piece positions.

And there was another echo of Portugal on 19 minutes when a poor back pass
from Gerrard almost let in Kollmann, who was ushered far enough to his left
for the final shot to slice wide of the post.

But on 23 minutes Liverpool did take the lead with a sensational goal from
Gerrard. Kewell had worked a position out on the left and laid the ball
back across the area into the captain's stride 30 yards out.

Gerrard hit the ball perfectly, and it crashed high into the top corner
with Schranz beaten.

Four minutes later it could have been two. Finnan's ball put Baros into a
dangerous position on the right, he spun away from his marker and drilled a
low ball to the far post where Cisse was fractionally late arriving, and
the ball skidded away to safety.

Dietmar Hamann saw a shot deflected wide from Cisse's lay-off with
Liverpool looking to take a significant lead.

And Baros was next to almost find the net, arriving on the far post from a
Finnan corner to head over from Cisse's flick.

Such was the obvious lack of involvement for Owen, that on 36 minutes when
Baros went down with a back injury, it was Florent Sinama-Pongolle who was
summoned from the subs' bench to warm up.

Baros made a recovery and was involved instantly with Kewell on the left to
set up Cisse with another low ball, but again the Frenchman could not get
there in time.

Graz had Mario Tokic cautioned for dissent after some tame pushing and
shoving at a free-kick, and Hamann was soon into the book too for a foul on
Rene Aufhauser.

Cisse wasted another good opening when he ran clear to drive a low shot
into the diving body of Schranz.

Liverpool were spinning the ball around with growing confidence, while Graz
had barely had a shot to test Jerzy Dudek.

But another goal was vital if the Reds were to be sure they would not live
to regret wastefulness in front of goal.

That danger was clear when Kollmann rose to send a left wing cross looping
over, and Benitez's frustration at poor final passes and lack of quick
thinking by his front men meant more wasted opportunities.

Baros, from another good Finnan corner, forced Schranz into a flying save
as Liverpool continued to drive home their obvious advantage.

Gerrard's far post header from Carragher's long ball fitted into the
constant pattern of missed chances.

On 67 minutes they thought they had got a second, another cracker from
Gerrard from outside the box.

But French referee Alain Sars penalised Cisse in the build-up as he tried a
bicycle kick that missed ball and man, but it appeared that the decision
may actually have been for offside rather than dangerous play.

What was clear was that Cisse and Baros, for all their pace, were not
clicking and the final ball into the Frenchman was not accurate enough.

And Baros was withdrawn to send on another midfielder, Salif Diao, after 72
minutes.

The Austrians had already sent on Mario Bazina and Gernot Sick to try to
liven things up.

Finally Liverpool did get their second on 80 minutes.

Gerrard broke swiftly from defence and this time the ball for Cisse was
perfect as he surged away down the left.

He cut in, and pushed a pass to Kewell who spun to find Gerrard now
unmarked on the right having run fully 80 yards to reach a position to
drill a low shot into the bottom corner.

Benitez could relax and put on Stephen Warnock for Gerrard, with Liverpool
now firmly in control.

Another youngster, Darren Potter, then replaced Finnan with five minutes to go.

Graz AK: Scheuer, Tokic, Ehmann, Ramusch, Standfest, Muratovic (Pirker 81),
Skoro (Bazina 62), Amerhauser, Pogatetz, Aufhauser (Sick 72), Kollmann
Subs not used: Almer, D, Majstorovic, Plassnegger
Booked: Tokic, Sick

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan (Potter 85), Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Kewell,
Gerrard (Warnock 80), Hamann, Josemi, Cisse, Baros (Diao 73)
Subs not used: Kirkland, Henchoz, Owen, Sinama Pongolle
Booked: Hamann
Goals: Gerrard 23, 79

Att: 15,000
Referee: Alain Sars (France)


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