15.8.07  CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFIER, LEG 1
Toulouse 0 Liverpool 1 (PA Sport)


Liverpool have one foot in the Champions League group stages after this highly effective triumph in the heat of south-west France.

It is a long road from here to the final next year in Moscow, and the Anfield club will face much more difficult opponents than Toulouse.

But boss Rafael Benitez will be pleased with the start his expensively reassembled squad have made to their season.

They followed up Saturday's win at Aston Villa with another success on their travels, thanks to a spectacular goal on his full debut by Andriy Voronin.

Liverpool should be expected to complete the job in a fortnight in the second leg of this third qualifying round match - and claim the £12million assured for clubs who reach the final 16 of the competition.

Next up is Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League at Anfield on Sunday, and Liverpool will be more than confident after this success.

Benitez delivered on his promise to rotate his squad, making six changes from the side which beat Villa on the opening day of the Barclays Premier League season.

Peter Crouch - unhappy at his omission on Saturday - was in the starting line-up, alongside Yossi Benayoun, Sami Hyypia, Ryan Babel, Javier Mascherano and Voronin.

Jermaine Pennant was left at home, while Daniel Agger, John Arne Riise, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Dirk Kuyt all rested to the bench.

A packed municipal stadium, sweltering in temperatures approaching 90 degrees, were present for Toulouse's return to European action for the first time in 20 years.

Steven Gerrard hit a 20-yard free-kick inches wide in the third minute, but Liverpool were having to do a lot of running to keep the hosts - who finished third in their domestic league last season - at bay.

Captain Nicolas Dieuze needed his head heavily bandaged after a clash of heads with Voronin, but that did not stop the flow of Toulouse's football.

A slight error from Hyypia allowed striker Johan Elmander a 20-yard effort, which was held by Jose Reina after a lunging tackle by Jamie Carragher had taken the sting out of the shot.

In the 28th minute, Steve Finnan, Crouch and Benayoun worked the ball down the right and when play was switched to the left by Gerrard, Babel went on a fine run before laying the ball back to the England man - but the shot was too high.

Reina was only called into action to block a Paulo Cesar break down the right in the opening half, which ended in fine fashion for the visitors when Voronin made the breakthrough in the 43rd minute.

Finnan's long ball was nodded down by Crouch, and with Dieuze failing to react, Voronin lashed a rising drive into the top corner of the home net.

Toulouse sent on Fode Mansare for Bryan Bergougnoux at the break to give Elmander some more support up front.

Gerrard took a painful kick on his ankle from Pantxi Sirieix soon after the break and it took him some time to run it off.

Crouch was almost gifted a chance for a second goal when a ball from Benayoun fell into his path, but as he tried to take the ball round Nicolas Douchez, the goalkeeper scooped it off his foot.

Liverpool replaced Benayoun with Riise in the 59th minute, with the Norwegian taking up a left-wing role.

A minute later Elmander was booked for a foul on Mascherano - and four minutes after that the Swedish striker finally managed to evade the clutches of Hyypia and Carragher to send in a flicked shot which was held by Reina.

Gerrard was replaced in the 65th minute by Mohamed Sissoko, while Elmander had another decent chance in the 69th minute when he sent an angled header over the top from Cesar's cross, the midfielder being replaced by Andre Gignac seconds later.

Voronin made way for Torres in the 78th minute - and soon after Cetto was booked for dissent after the Spanish striker had tangled with Sirieix.

Moussa Sissoko took over from Ebondo with six minutes left, with Toulouse now looking frustrated and short of ideas - to the dejection of most of the 30,380 crowd.

 

Teams

Toulouse: Douchez, Ebondo (Sissoko 83), Mathieu, Cetto, Fofana, Paulo Cesar (Gignac 69), Sirieix, Emana, Dieuze, Elmander, Bergougnoux (Mansare 46).

Subs Not Used: Riou, Jonsson, Batlles, Fabinho.
Booked: Elmander, Cetto, Sissoko.

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Arbeloa, Benayoun (Riise 59), Gerrard (Sissoko 65), Mascherano, Babel, Voronin (Torres 78), Crouch.

Subs Not Used: Itandje, Agger, Alonso, Kuyt.
Goals: Voronin 43.

Att: 36,000
Ref: Kyros Vassaras (Greece).