28.8.07  CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFIER, LEG 2
Liverpool vs Toulouse 4-0 (www.lfc.tv)


Liverpool are through to the group stages of the Champions League after goals from Peter Crouch, Sami Hyypia and Dirk Kuyt (2) gave them a 4-0 victory over Toulouse at Anfield on Tuesday and a 5-0 win on aggregate.

The Reds will now wait until Thursday's draw in Monaco to see which three teams they will be grouped with after Crouch struck in the first half and Hyypia and Kuyt struck in the second to add to Andriy Voronin's strike in France a fortnight ago.

This game was preceded by a moving tribute to Everton fanatic Rhys Jones, whose tragic death has touched the hearts of the whole city. Rhys's beloved Z-Cars anthem was played ahead of the traditional You'll Never Walk Alone, before the players, fans and Rhys's parents and brother stood through an emotional period of applause.

A sell out crowd gave Anfield a familiar feel for a European night, but there was an unfamiliar look to the team sheet because injuries to Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher meant this would be the first time in 103 Euro ties that the Reds have been without at least one of them. Rafa Benitez made six changes from the side that won at Sunderland, with one of them a debut for young Argentine Sebastian Leto.

It was Toulouse who started the game quickest when Emana warmed the hands of Reina with a hooked shot, but Liverpool were soon on the attack with Riise forcing Douchez into a save before Leto quickly endeared himself to the Kop by dancing in from the left and effortlessly beating two men.

Liverpool's 1-0 first leg lead meant Toulouse had to try force the issue here and they started with a good deal more ambition than they had shown in the game in France. But it was Liverpool who looked the more dangerous and they took a deserved lead through Peter Crouch in the 19th minute.

Crouch was making his first appearance of the season, but he was sharp from the start and he was first to Dirk Kuyt's deep cross to hook the ball past the despairing dive of the goalkeeper and make Toulouse's task doubly difficult.

It was a goal that meant, because of Voronin's strike in France, Liverpool had one foot in the group stages. And they could have had the tie settled by half time had they taken at least one of the many chances they created before the break.

Crouch was in the action again in the 22nd minute when his drilled shot from a tight angle flashed just wide; and the England man was the scourge of the Toulouse defence again in the 29th minute when he rose highest to head Benayoun's corner just over the crossbar. Benayoun was having a good game on his Anfield debut and some more good work by him in the 33rd minute gave Kuyt a chance that he put just the wrong side of the post.

Any thoughts Toulouse had of a comeback were extinguished in the 49th minute when Sami Hyypia, who was captain for night, found himself free in the area and planted a firm header past Douchez and into the Kop net. Benayoun was again the provider with a pinpoint corner.

It was job done for Liverpool and Rafa had the luxury of making a couple of changes in the second half, with one of them meaning a debut for Lucas.

The Reds created a number of chances to increase their margin of victory, most notably when Dirk Kuyt smashed a shot against the crossbar and Crouch hit over. But Kuyt wasn't to be denied and he scored a superb third in the 87th minute before finishing the scoring with his second and Liverpool's fourth in stoppage time.
 

Teams

Liverpool: Reina, Riise, Hyypia (captain), Agger, Arbeloa, Leto, Mascherano, Sissoko, Benayoun, Crouch, Kuyt. Subs - Alonso, Babel, Leiva, Torres, Pennant, Itandje

Toulouse: Douchez, Cetto, Cesar, Ilunga, Mathieu, Dieuze (captain), Fofana, Sirieix, Emana, Elmander, Gignac. Subs - Riou, Jonsson, Mansare, Sissoko, , Bergougnoux, Batlles

Referee: W Stark
Conditions: Dry

Attendance: 43118
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Yossi Benayoun