[lfc-news] Graz report - PA

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PA Sport, 24 Aug 2004
Liverpool 0 Graz AK 1 (Agg: 2-1)

Liverpool stumbled into the group stages of the Champions League after a
painful, embarrassing performance at Anfield.

Rafael Benitez lost his unbeaten record as Liverpool boss and saw all the
frailties that brought him to the club to replace Gerard Houllier.

Graz pulled one goal back in the second half through Mario Tokic and from
then on Liverpool - who had been slow and uninspired throughout - somehow
clung onto their aggregate lead.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez brought in three players who have barely
figured in his opening weeks in control at Anfield for tonight's Champions
League third qualifying round second leg clash.

Stephane Henchoz, Salif Diao and youngster Darren Potter were due to start,
while youngsters Paul Harrison, Stephen Warnock and Zak Whitbread were on
the bench as Benitez carried out his promise to give fringe players the
chance to impress.

With Liverpool 2-0 ahead from the first leg, Benitez no doubt felt he could
take a few risks with a place in the group stages all but assured.

Austrian coach Walter Schachner brought in four players who did not start
the first leg - Mario Bazina, Gernot Sick, Mario Majstorovic and Gernot
Plassnegger.

Diao played alongside Steven Gerrard in the centre of midfield, with
19-year-old Potter making his full debut after coming off the bench in the
first leg in Austria.

The Liverpool-born youngster was not slow to use his speed down the right
to attack Majstorovic, and he instantly had the crowd on his side.

Liverpool's first chance came when Harry Kewell pulled a free-kick back to
Gerrard on the edge of the box, and his low shot flashed inches wide. John
Arne Riise was more wayward from the same distance soon after.

Graz clearly did not feel this was a lost cause and attacked with pace,
particularly down the right.

But both Djibril Cisse and Milan Baros are no slouches in that department
and were more than prepared to run at retreating defenders.

One 40-yard dash from Cisse almost created a chance on the far post for
Gerrard as Liverpool sought the opener that would put the tie beyond the
Austrians.

But Graz then sat back and Liverpool could only build slowly. When they did
attack, top scorer Roland Kollmann kept Sami Hyypia occupied.

Liverpool were struggling to find the space they needed, and Graz continued
to look dangerous on the break.

And when they won a free-kick on the left, Joachim Standfest's curling
delivery into the area was missed by everyone - including goalkeeper Jerzy
Dudek, who was not troubled by a turn and shot from Bazina soon after.

A foul on Baros produced a free-kick for Gerrard to curl into the area,
with Hyypia being just too far away to take advantage of being left unattended.

Baros was next with a stabbed shot which goalkeeper Andreas Schranz
collected with ease, before Emanuel Pogatetz was booked for bringing down
Baros on 34 minutes.

Seconds later Gerrard's through ball gave the Czech the chance of a first
time shot which was blocked in the six-yard box.

As Liverpool's lack of ideas worsened, Benitez plainly became more
frustrated on the line.

His mood was not improved when Potter was booked for a challenge on
Majstorovic which looked to cleanly take the ball.

The danger Graz still possessed appeared again when Kollmann arrived on the
far post to meet a long free kick, and collided painfully with the woodwork
as he attempted to turn the ball home.

The problem for Liverpool was that the longer this uninspired performance
continued, the more confident Graz would become, knowing that even one goal
would stretch the home side's nerves.

And they started the second period more than encouraged to attack Liverpool
with neat inter-passing.

It was Liverpool who were now forced onto the defensive as they continually
gave the ball away.

And the inevitable soon happened when Mario Tokic was given too much time
25 yards out to hit a rising drive that beat Dudek and crashed in off the
bar on 54 minutes.

Benitez had seen enough by 58 minutes and put on another youngster,
Warnock, in place of out-of-touch Kewell.

The goal sparked some life into Liverpool, but Gerrard clearly tried too
hard on one surge into the box and was booked by Spanish referee Medina
Cantalejo for diving, much to the disgust of the Kop.

Plassnegger was booked on 66 minutes for tugging John Arne Riise's shirt
and a minute later Baros and Cisse combined for about the first time all
night for the Frenchman to lift a 12-yard shot over the top.

Captain Rene Aufhauser was then booked for hauling down Gerrard before
Samir Muratovic replaced Plassnegger. Gerrard's short free-kick to Baros
ended with a return ball that the Liverpool man drilled low but was unable
to beat Schranz.

Muratovic was booked for a foul on Gerrard before Benitez hauled off Cisse
on 75 minutes to send on Florent Sinama-Pongolle.

Diao and Sinama-Pongolle both had snap shots that tested Schranz before
Matthias Dollinger came on for Majstorovic.

Eight minutes from time Dudek made a fine save at the foot of a post from a
Kollmann header following Bazina's long cross.

There was confusion late on when it looked as if referee Cantalejo had
booked Aufhauser for a second time and not sent him off, this time for a
second foul on Gerrard.

A minute from time Dietmar Hamann was brought on for Baros to attempt to
shore up a midfield that Graz had been running through regularly.

Liverpool: Dudek, Riise, Hanchoz, Hyypia, Carragher, Kewell (Warnock 58),
Diao, Gerrard, Potter, Baros (Hamann 90), Cisse (Sinama Pongolle 75)
Subs not used: Harrison, Finnan, Biscan, Whitbread
Booked: Potter, Gerrard

Graz AK: Schranz, Majstorovic (Dollinger 79), Pogatetz, Tokic, Standfest,
Amerhauser, Aufhauser, Sick, Plassnegger (Muratovic 70), Bazina, Kollmann
Subs not used: Allmer, Erkinger, Hassler, Ramusch, Sencar
Booked: Pogatetz, Plassnegger, Aufhauser, Muratovic
Goals: Tokic 55

Att: 42,950
Referee: L Medina Cantalejo (Spain)


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