Gerrard equal to the task as referee intervenes decisively

SOCCER/Liverpool 1 Ath Madrid 1:THIS TOURNAMENT will at least have shaken any lingering presumptuousness out of Liverpool. They took a point after being awarded an unmerited penalty by Swedish referee Martin Hansson in the third minute of stoppage time.

It came when, if anything, Steven Gerrard appeared to jump into Mariano Pernia. No sense of guilt distracted the captain from equalising with the spot kick.

The supposed offender was booked and three further cautions ensued as the visitors looked reluctant to restart the match. Liverpool can argue that that they should have been awarded an earlier penalty. Nonetheless, they had been blunt, with the defender Daniel Agger their likeliest hope of a goal in open play. The intriguing close to the action was most improbable.

This game seemed to embody the condition of European football at the moment, with the Premier League and La Liga vying for domination. Before Group D could move beyond its midpoint, the main issue was the order in which these sides would stroll through to the knock-out phase. The compensation for a lack of variety in the tournaments lies in the quality of the football from representatives of Spain and England.

That excellence wounded Rafael Benitez's side in the 38th minute. Atletico were sharp of mind and body with a thrust down their right. When full back Antonio Lopez rolled in a cross Maxi Rodriguez moved across a static Jamie Carragher and shot low across goalkeeper Jose Reina.

It was an incident to have the Anfield statisticians brooding over a record that had only seen their side beat Spanish visitors twice on the 11 previous occasions in European competition.

The setback was not so very great a shock on the evidence of the early action last night. There had already been a thrilling move by Atletico that ought to have given them an earlier lead. Maniche found Diego Forlan after 19 minutes and the former Manchester United attacker was undistracted by the loud contempt of the crowd as he fed left back Mariano Pernia. The low cross was precise, too, and the accuracy only vanished when Simao lifted it over the bar.

There was no sense there was much at stake even when the opportunity was not taken. Though Agger had appealed for a penalty when he seemed to be tugged in the first minute, 30 minutes had gone before a spell of vehemence from Benitez's team.

Carragher's pass broke off John Heitinga to send Robbie Keane clear but goalkeeper Leo Franco made enough contact with the ball to direct the Dubliner's shot away from the target.

Liverpool had been without Fernando Torres for five matches and it appeared prudent, following his hamstring injury, to excuse him duty as a substitute here. There had not been much evidence that Atletico would be such a concern to Benitez. Their coach, Javier Aguirre, was serving a touchline ban following incidents at a group match with Marseille. Atletico have also been distracted by an appeal against the ruling that they must play their next home match in the tournament at least 300km from home.

The crowd were roused by an aberration from the officials. In the 50th minute, the defender Luis Perea patted the ball inside the area without being noticed by Hansson or his assistant. Both the home spectators and their side, in the wake of that grievance, were fully engaged in the fixture.

There was a corresponding intensity in the play and Agger headed over from a Fabio Aurelio set-piece. The home support were absorbed by the Atletico counter-attack that ended with Forlan's fruitless appeal for a penalty when his low ball brushed Javier Mascherano's arm as the midfielder slide to the ground.

Liverpool, prior to the loss at White Hart Lane, had seemed to have sufficient fire-power even in the absence of Torres. Here, they quickened the tempo and introduced an overt attacker in Ryan Babel for Albert Riera. There was also a chastening verdict on Keane, who gave way to the French youngster David N'Gog.

Atletico could introduce the already famous Aguero for Forlan. Liverpool have finished vigorously in the closing phase of several matches in this campaign, but the need to do so here was more disturbing than usual as Atletico's poise appeared durable, until their late reprieve.

LIVERPOOL: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio, Mascherano (Leiva Lucas 77), Alonso, Kuyt, Gerrard, Riera (Babel 61), Keane (Ngog 71). Subs not used: Cavalieri, Dossena, Benayoun, Degen. Goals: Gerrard 90 pen.

ATLETICO MADRID: Franco, Antonio Lopez, Perea, Heitinga, Pernia, Raul Garcia, Paulo Assuncao, Maniche, Maxi, Forlan (Aguero 71), Simao (Luis Garcia 90). Subs not used: Coupet, Sinama Pongolle, Banega, Pablo, Camacho. Booked: Maniche, Perea, Heitinga, Pernia, Aguero. Goals: Maxi 37.

Referee: Martin Hansson (Sweden).