Barca bashers send out warning

LONDON - BARCELONA took Liverpool's 2005 European trophy. Now the Reds are dreaming of returning the favour, after knocking the holders out at Anfield on Tuesday.

Although Liverpool lost 0-1 on the night, their first leg 2-1 win at the Nou Camp saw them book a place in the quarter-finals on the away-goals rule.

Substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen scored the only goal after 75 minutes, but Barca's players left the field utterly devastated.

'We feel we have laid down a marker here,' said Liverpool's captain Steven Gerrard, who on the same day accepted libel damages over a magazine's claim that he was considering a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

'We have beaten the best team in Europe over two legs. It proves we can beat anyone on our day.

'Rafael Benitez has shown he is one of the best managers in the world, and he shows it with the tactics he used in Europe.

'We always trust him to get it right, and he did it again this time.'

Yes, but very nearly no.

Benitez is shrewd to realise that the way to beat Barca is to attack them and expose their weaknesses at the back, before they can use their strengths up front with the talents of Ronaldinho, Deco, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o.

The tactic worked at the Nou Camp and at Anfield.

Barca's defender Carles Puyol, so outstanding in previous years, is having a difficult season.

His partner Lilian Thuram is 35 and his intelligence cannot always compensate for the slowing of his legs, reported The Times.

The Spanish team were stretched as they tried to contain the running of Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy.

Liverpool had 10 shots in the first 23 minutes, whereas Barca did not have one effort on target in the opening half.

John Arne Riise and Mohamed Sissoko, who picked up a booking which rules him out of the quarter-final, rocked the woodwork.

Bellamy and Kuyt worked the best out of goalkeeper Victor Valdes, while Puyol cleared off the line.

But, time and again, teams who try to hold on to what they have lose everything.

Arsenal paid the price in the final in Paris last season when, with a 1-0 lead, they took off Francesc Fabregas for the defensive-minded Mattheu Flamini.

Barca won 2-1.

It seemed Benitez was making the same mistake when he took off Bellamy for midfielder Jermaine Pennant to flood the centre of the pitch.

Barca put on striker Gudjohnsen for Thuram, and the tide shifted.

Pennant slipped and teammate Alvaro Arbeloa played Gudjohnsen onside. The former Chelsea striker dribbled past goalkeeper Jose Reina and scored.

It set up a frantic finale, yet Liverpool really should have soothed the racing pulses.

Substitute Peter Crouch blasted Pennant's superb cross into the Kop from just three metres out.

Liverpool concede as few goals as Manchester United and Chelsea but score nothing like as many - and that could be their undoing later in the Champions League.

But, with an out-of-sorts Ronaldinho failing to make any impact to a thousand derisive cries of 'who are you?', Liverpool hung on.

'I feel this is the greatest victory this club has ever had in Europe,' said their defensive kingpin Jamie Carragher, ranking Tuesday's aggregate win even better than their final win over AC Milan two years ago.

'Even though we have knocked them out, they are still the best club side in the world. So beating them is a remarkable achievement over two legs.'

Benitez refused to take credit.

'I don't like to talk about tactical battles between managers. I think it's all about players and what they do on the field. It's not about managers,' he said.

'The players were working until the end. The atmosphere was also amazing and I have seen today why we have the best supporters in the world.'

The last word belonged to Chelsea's manager Jose Mourinho, whose own side progressed after beating Porto 2-1 and could next meet Liverpool following the draw tomorrow.

He said: 'Now two of the last three champions - Porto and Barcelona - are out. Inter Milan are out. Lyon, the super team, are out. The Champions League is very open.'