Liverpool ... 2 Maccabi Haifa ... 1Liverpool may not know where they are going for the second leg of this tie but they know for sure that they will have to play a good deal better if they are to overcome this spirited Maccabi Haifa side.
The Israelis shocked Anfield by taking the lead in the first half, and although Liverpool equalised four minutes later with Craig Bellamy's first goal since his move from Blackburn, they were largely unconvincing until Mark Gonzalez, a late substitution for Steven Gerrard, scored a second goal with only two minutes remaining.
The signing of Craig Bellamy and Jermaine Pennant raised eyebrows over the summer, with neither of them renowned for their spotless characters. However, that has rarely been the yardstick for selection at Liverpool in recent years. But Rafael Benitez is not a manager to let players take advantage of him or the club, and the pace of Bellamy and the crossing ability of Pennant clearly appealed as something his team lacked last year.
Both started against Maccabi. Less expectedly, England's Peter Crouch was on the bench.
Starting in Europe before the Premiership always seems like putting the cart before the horse, but there was no doubting the frisson of excitement at Anfield last night, although as the Liverpool fans began to arrive a couple of hours before the kick-off it was the sound of the Maccabi supporters that was immediately noticeable.
There were not many of them, but a couple of drums and their vibrant close-harmony chanting made them sound appreciably larger in number. Despite the early arrival the kick-off was delayed by 10 minutes because of congestion outside the ground.
Both sides packed the midfield, with Bellamy and Roberto Colautti playing as lone strikers for their respective sides. Clearly the home side were looking to get Gerrard in support at every opportunity, and he was soon making surging runs through the centre as Liverpool attacked the Kop end.
This was a little different from last season's qualifiers when Liverpool began at the bottom against the tiny Welsh league side TNS. Maccabi, in their emerald strip, were anything but green, appearing composed and controlled in the opening exchanges as Liverpool pressed hard, looking to Bolo Zenden and Pennant to inflict damage from the flanks.
Anfield fell quiet when the initial attacks failed to provide any chances and it was John Arne Riise who raised the temperature again with a flashing left-foot shot that skidded on the wet turf beyond the Maccabi goalkeeper.
The next effort came from Jamie Carragher but Nir Davidovitch comfortably saved.
At this stage Bellamy was not getting the support he needed. Pennant finally managed to get in a low cross from the right, which the rushing Bellamy just failed to connect with.
With Liverpool becoming a little frustrated, Maccabi suddenly broke to take the lead in the 29th minute. Colautti and Gustavo Boccoli neatly exchanged passes, leaving Boccoli to sprint clear and hit a low, right-foot shot beyond the exposed Jose Reina.
Liverpool were quick to respond. Four minutes later another Pennant-led thrust down the right ended with Gerrard touching the ball to Momo Sissoko who unleashed a drive that Davidovitch could only parry, leaving Bellamy a virtually open goal.
Bellamy's pace was certainly bringing a new dimension to Liverpool's attacking play, but this is obviously a work in progress rather than the finished article; he needs to get on the same wavelength as Gerrard.
Maccabi were always cautious in their attacking options given the state of the tie but it was a much closer game than many Liverpool fans might have hoped for at this stage of the competition.
There was danger again in the second half when Alon Harazi swung it across from the right and Colautti went fractionally wide, the Maccabi striker throwing back his head at the narrowness of his effort on goal.
Bellamy gave way to Crouch as Benitez went for option two with Liverpool searching for further goals. But it took a brilliant save by Davidovitch to keep out Pennant's superbly struck free kick.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Gerrard (Gonzalez 85), Sissoko, Alonso, Zenden (Luis Garcia 55), Pennant, Bellamy (Crouch 65). Subs Not Used: Dudek, Kromkamp, Paletta, Peltier. Booked: Sissoko. Goals: Bellamy 33, Gonzalez 88.
MACCABI HAIFA: Davidovitch, Harazi, Olarra, Keinan, Magralishvili, Boccoli, Anderson, Xavier, Masudi (Meshumar 90), Colautti, Katan (Melicsohn 85). Subs Not Used: Al Madon, Kanan, Swan, Hemad, Gazal. Booked: Magralishvili, Colautti. Goals: Boccoli 29.
Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Germany).
