Liverpool's thin red line lets them down

Champions League/Quarter-finals, second legs; Bayer Leverkusen 4; Liverpool 2: Liverpool's defence has been the backbone of their Champions League campaign but last night, when they most needed it to stand firm, they leaked four goals in an extraordinary match.

Jari Litmanen seemed to have earned Liverpool a place in the last four when he pulled the score back to 3-2 with 11 minutes remaining with a fine solo goal. But Bayer Leverkusen's Brazilian defender Lucio took advantage of more slack marking to beat Jerzy Dudek with six minutes remaining and end Liverpool's European dream.

Having fallen behind to an early Michael Ballack goal, Liverpool seemed set fair when Abel Xavier headed an equaliser which left Leverkusen needing two further strikes. A couple of wasted chances by Michael Owen seemed certain to cost Gérard Houllier's team when Ballack and Dimitar Berbatov scored in quick succession just after the hour.

Just when all seemed lost, Litmanen wove his way past several defenders and struck a low shot but a lack of concentration cost Liverpool when Lucio struck.

Liverpool must have felt confident of progressing to a possible all-Premiership tie against Manchester United. They arrived here unbeaten in 15 away games in Europe since 1998-99.

Gérard Houllier's players have built a reputation for solid defending on their travels in this competition, with Jerzy Dudek never previously beaten more than once.

With Houllier attending an away game for the first time since September, there was extra inspiration for Liverpool to draw on as they sought to make sure their 1-0 win in last week's first leg was not in vain. The manager, as expected, restored Abel Xavier at right-back, switched Jamie Carragher to the left and omitted Vladimir Smicer.

Smicer's replacement at left midfield, John Arne Riise, played a significant part in the first-minute when he played a neat ball to the unmarked Emile Heskey on the edge of the box but the striker's first touch was poor and his shot was blocked by a defender.

After that, Liverpool spent much of the opening quarter of an hour with all but Heskey and Michael Owen behind the ball as Leverkusen probed for an opening.

There had been few notable scares for Liverpool, with Ze Roberto let down a couple of times by his crossing, before they fell behind in the 16th minute.

Ballack cut inside Steven Gerrard just outside the box and hit a fine, rising left-foot shot beyond Dudek. The Pole, having got a glove to the ball, will feel disappointed to have been beaten from that range.

Leverkusen were now playing the better football and enjoying most of the possession, with Yildiray Basturk getting into dangerous areas between Liverpool's defence and midfield. The Turk, though, was let down by his final delivery and that was symptomatic of his team, who found clear chances hard to come by. When Ulf Kirsten had a sight of goal, he mishit his shot.

Despite being largely on the back foot, Liverpool again had a fine opportunity on the break, with Owen this time let down by his touch and allowing Jörg Butt to block. In general, though, the quality of service to the strikers was disappointing and it seemed no bad thing when Litmanen replaced the injured Heskey just before half-time.

An equaliser followed almost immediately, not that Litmanen was involved . From Danny Murphy's corner, Xavier sent a downward header past Butt, who touched the ball but could not prevent it crossing the line.

Leverkusen threw on two forwards at the interval but Liverpool first came closest to another goal when Owen beat Butt struck the post. Leverkusen were, almost inevitably, doing most of the attacking. but Liverpool were always a danger on the break.

Owen must have rued another wasted opportunity when Ballack headed in a right-wing cross and the substitute Berbatov scored from close range after Stéphane Henchoz had blocked on the line. Liverpool seemed to have been saved by Litmanen but Leverkusen had the final word.

Guardian Service

Bayer Leverkusen: Butt, Nowotny, Lucio, Placente, Ze Roberto, Basturk, Ballack, Schneider, Sebescen (Neuville 46), Kirsten (Berbatov 46), Brdaric (Zivkovic 70). Subs Not Used: Juric, Babic, Vranjes, Kleine. Booked: Nowotny, Ze Roberto. Goals: Ballack 15, 63, Berbatov 68, Lucio 84.

Liverpool: Dudek, Xavier (Berger 75), Hyypia, Henchoz, Murphy, Riise, Hamann (Smicer 61), Gerrard, Carragher, Heskey (Litmanen 41), Owen. Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Barmby, McAllister, Biscan. Booked: Riise, Henchoz, Xavier. Goals: Xavier 42, Litmanen 79. Attendance: 22,500.

Referee: M Pereira (Portugal).

(Leverkusen win 4-3 on agg)