12.12.02:
UEFA Cup Rnd 3, Leg 2
Liverpool 1 Vitesse 0 (BBC)

Liverpool made it through to the fourth round of the Uefa Cup with a 1-0 defeat of Vitesse Arnhem at Anfield, but it was anything but a vintage performance. 

Gerard Houllier's side went into the game on the back of four defeats in five Premiership games and in need of a confidence-boosting display. 

But they struggled to produce any sort of fluency and again were over-reliant on the scoring ability of Michael Owen 

Bob Peeters was close to getting on the end of a dangerous cross from Matthew Amoah in the fourth minute, but Reds keeper Chris Kirkland got down well. 

Peeters should have done much better in the 19th minute when Tim Cornelisse swung in a dangerous cross that escaped the Liverpool defence and found the big striker at the back post. 

But somehow Peeters managed to put his header from point blank range against the outside of the post with Kirkland well beaten. 

In between the visitors' early chances Vladimir Smicer slipped a pass into Murphy but Vitesse keeper Dragoslav Jevric was quick off his line to block the England midfielder's shot. 

Two minutes after Peeters' second miss Liverpool went in front with Owen's 15th goal of the season. 

It was set up by an exquisite ball behind the Vitesse defence from the increasingly influential Murphy. 

Owen's pace took him away and after firing straight at the keeper, the striker was on hand to finish off from the rebound. 

Murphy combined with Owen again shortly before half-time, but this time the forward's shot was blocked by a retreating defence. 

Vitesse went close to pulling a goal back before the interval when Amoah tried his luck from outside the box, but Kirkland dealt with the problem with ease. 

It seemed only a goal from Vitesse was going to spark Liverpool into life and the Dutch side nearly got it in the 71st minute when Emile Mbamba flicked on for Peeters. 

But again the forward failed to find the net, firing straight at Kirkland when he should really have scored. 

Liverpool ended the game almost in cruise control and completed only their second win in nine games - the other being the first leg against Vitesse. 

Can we play you every week could have been the cry from the Liverpool fans who were left inside Anfield at the final whistle. 


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Liverpool (4-4-2): Kirkland; Traore, Henchoz, Hyypia, Carragher; Murphy, Gerrard, Diao (Hamann, 67), Smicer (Baros, 87); Diouf (Riise, 77), Owen. Substitutes not used: Dudek (gk), Babbel, Mellor, Biscan.

Vitesse Arnhem (4-4-2) Jevric; Jansen, Cornelisse, Stefanovic, Frankel (Mustapha, 35); Mbamba, Claessens, Levchenko, Janssen, Amoah (Dingsdag 67), Peeters. Substitutes not used: Van Fessem (gk), Van Beukiering, Sone, Rojer.

Referee: W Stark (Germany).






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