Liverpool's nerves are stretched to the limit

Liverpool 0 Graz AK 1 (Liverpool win 2-1 on aggregate) Liverpool narrowly escaped a £14 million foul-up as they scrambled into the lucrative group stages of the Champions League.

Rafael Benitez discovered in one painful 90-minute spell just why he has been brought to Anfield. All the problems from the Gerard Houllier era were there for all to see.

Graz, so disappointing in the first leg of this third qualifying round tie, increasingly took the game to Liverpool and it was no surprise that Mario Tokic pulled a crucial goal back during the second half.

From then on Liverpool just scrambled and scratched their way to the final agonising whistle.

Benitez fielded three players who have barely figured in his opening weeks in control at Anfield with Stephane Henchoz, Salif Diao and Darren Potter in the starting line-up.

Liverpool's first chance came when Harry Kewell pulled a free-kick back to Steven Gerrard on the edge of the box, and his low shot flashed inches wide.

John Arne Riise was more wayward from the same distance soon after.

Both Djibril Cisse and Milan Baros were more than prepared to run at retreating defenders but they produced little apart from one 40-yard dash from Cisse which almost created a chance on the far post for Gerrard.

The Austrian champions were prepared to mainly sit deep in their own half and invite Liverpool to try to thread their moves between a massed rank of blue, while continuing to look dangerous on the break.

It was Liverpool who were forced onto the defensive as they continually gave the ball away and the inevitable soon happened when Roland Kollmann's corner was only half cleared to Tokic, who was given too much time 25 yards out to blast a rising drive in off the underside of the crossbar with Jerzy Dudek clutching thin air on 54 minutes.

Benitez had seen enough by 58 minutes and put on another youngster, Stephen Warnock, in place of out-of-touch Kewell.

The goal sparked some life into Liverpool but Gerrard clearly tried too hard on one surge into the box and was booked by Spanish referee Luis Medina Cantalejo for diving, much to the disgust of the Kop.

Baros and Cisse combined for about the first time all night for the Frenchman to lift a 12-yard shot over the top, A minute from time Dietmar Hamann was brought on for Baros to attempt to shore up the midfield and somehow Liverpool clung on.

LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Riise, Potter, Gerrard, Diao, Kewell, Baros, Cisse. Subs: Harrison, Finnan, Hamann, Sinama Pongolle, Biscan, Warnock, Whitbread.

LIEBHERR GAK: Schranz, Standfest, Tokic, Pogatetz, Majstorovic, Plassnegger, Sick, Aufhauser, Amerhauser, Kollmann, Bazina. Subs: Ramusch, Muratovic, Almer, Sencar, Dollinger, Hassler, Erkinger. Goal: Tokic 55.

Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain)