TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY

Going into this game, not many were holding out a huge amount of hope.
Madrid had bagged 10 goals in two games, and Liverpool were struggling to score a goal more than once a game.
What we got was a perfect European away performance from the Reds.
Yes, the Spanish outfit were poor, but credit more Liverpool for suffocating the life out of talented players to the point where they had no clue how to break down a well-drilled English side.
The goal by Yossi was a huge bonus, and in truth, if we'd have shown a little bit more adventure there was at least another goal there for the taking.
The Israeli was one of Liverpool best players, and it was heartwarming to see a player with genuine skill and attacking verve being allowed to express himself.
Play Yossi in a central, floating role and he has the talent to do damage. He wasn't known for his heading, mind.
Also putting in an excellent shift was Aurelio who was solid in defence and looked cultured when going forward.
Why we needed to shell out £7 odd million for Dossena when we had the Brazilian and the emerging Insua is a tough one.

As usual, Carragher and Skrtel were excellent and Arbeloa always looks professionally sound in these type of games.
Mascherano, not having to creatively probe as he sometimes has to do at Anfield, loved the battle in the middle of the field, and Kuyt always did the right thing, although his goalscoring edge is pretty blunt these days.
Alonso, for me, was a shade disappointing. With Gerrard missing we needed the Spaniard to dominate, but he didn't demand reponsibility enough which would befit a player of his class.
Torres was off the pace, but we'll put that down to the knock he got on his ankle early on.

In an attacking sense, we didn't create many clear-cut opportunities, other than Torres drawing a save from Casillas.
There were plenty of promising breaks and situations on the edge of the box when a lack of incisiveness was apparent.
Not that this Madrid side was anything special. Still playing grandads Raul and Guti? An ex Portsmouth centre mid, Man Utd reject ageing left back, a hugely overrated centre half in Pepe and temperamental winger in Robben. What were we concerned about?
The Dutchman was the only one who caused us problems and we kept him fairly well in check.

A word must also be said about the diabolical refereeing which Liverpool endured. It was farcical at times, and thankfully there were no big decisions which would have swayed the game.
The bookings handed out to our players were laughable. Mascherano won a great tackle, but saw yellow.
Riera put his hands up instinctively to protect his face, and saw yellow for deliberate handball.
Pepe was screaming and rolling around in the first few minutes after a nothing brush with Torres.
Heinze gave it the agonising looks after being blown on, and Robben was clutching everything bar his knackers after every slight shove or prod.
It's gone beyond a joke and referees need to wise up to the conniving, cheating, simulating tactics of foreign footballers.
Even the foreign stars of the English clubs don't do it once they come to the Premiership.
They see it for what it is. Laughable.

As alluded to, the game was played against backdrop of rumours about Rafa's future which made the result all the more impressive.
Jamie Carragher brushed off the talk in interview in typically jokey fashion, a refreshing honesty to everything he said.
There's no inside information here, other than to say I can't see Liverpool putting a performance in like that, with a visibly passionate manager on the touchline still patently caring, if he was on the brink of leaving.
It's a game of cat and mouse which the Spaniard is playing well, but the world gets too easily swayed into believing everything they read on a mate's text, or a trigger happy internet forum.
'I've got a source whose close to Sammy Lee, who says....."
Yeah, whatever.

There's no doubt the result is a shot in the arm for a season that was in danger of heading for the knackers yard, in terms of trophies at least.
The league is looking like a forlorn hope, but the wily Liverpool are tailor made for Europe, a competition in which just two or three class players, coupled with a huge work rate, iron defence and painstaking organisation can easily make you champions of the continent.