Liverpool 4 Steau Bucharest 1:NO STEVEN Gerrard, no Fernando Torres and the threat of Tom Hicks still hovering over ruinous debt offered an apocalyptic vision of the future for Liverpool against Steaua Bucharest yet the here and now proved far more palatable. A comfortable stroll over the Romanian visitors gave Roy Hodgson a fifth successive European win as Liverpool manager, a club record, and a perfect preparation for the visit to Old Trafford on Sunday.
The only rebellion on the Kop was not towards the club’s co-owners, who have not yet given up on retaining control of Liverpool from the Royal Bank of Scotland, but towards David Ngog when he had the temerity to restore his team’s lead from the penalty spot. There was even the sound of suppressed laughter when it was announced that Lucas Leiva was indeed the scorer of a stunning third goal from 25 yards.
Hodgson had demanded his squad players seize the opportunity to impress and, unlike many occasions in the past, they did not fail the Liverpool manager.
The contest opened perfectly for Hodgson’s makeshift side and Joe Cole in particular, given how this doubled as an audition for the starting line-up at Old Trafford for the England international following the completion of his three-match ban. As the manager had promised, Liverpool were unrecognisable from the side fortunate to escape with a goalless draw at Birmingham City on Sunday, with only Jose Reina, Paul Konchesky and Maxi Rodriguez retaining their place. They were unrecognisable as an attacking threat too, and it took 26 seconds for Liverpool to demonstrate the intent and finishing that proved beyond them at St Andrew’s.
Cole was gifted the chance to vent his recent frustrations courtesy of a terrible slip by the visiting centre half Octavian Abrudan. Played into trouble by over-elaboration in front of him, the Steaua defender scuffed a backpass straight to Liverpool’s number 10 who swept his first goal for the club wide of the goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu and in off the far post. Cole’s last goal came in Chelsea’s decisive league victory over Manchester United in April.
The first exchange, however, proved deceptive. Abrudan’s calamity was out of context with an impressive display from the Romanians. Steaua’s front four combined pace, strength, ingenuity and quality in abundance, and were ably supported by their two defensive midfielders.
Within 13 minutes the visitors were level, the captain, Cristian Tanase, lofting a chip over Reina having been released behind the Liverpool defence by Bogdan Stancu, and Mihai Radut maintained a constant menace on the right.
Reina saved at point-blank range when Radut brushed aside Konchesky and picked out Stancu in the centre, although the Steaua forward had drifted offside. Liverpool were limited to shots from distance through Cole and Rodriguez, Tatarusanu saving comfortably on both occasions, and Abrudan’s miserable night continued when he collected a harsh booking for a ball-winning challenge on the Argentina international.
Liverpool’s cause was helped greatly by facing such an imbalanced Steaua team. Hodgson’s team were handed another present when Rodriguez floated a corner towards the visitors’ penalty spot. Sotirios Kyrgiakos challenged for the ball with his Greece international team-mate Pantelis Kapetanos, who for some reason thought he could get away with pulling the defender to the floor before the array of Europa League match officials. Ngog defied the reservations of the Kop to send Steaua’s goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot and claim his sixth goal of a blossoming personal campaign.
The visitors faded as the contest wore on and Cole increasingly exploited the gaps their midfield left behind, although Tanase wasted a fine opening when he nut-megged Kyrgiakos on the edge of the Liverpool area but sliced wide. Lucas made the game safe with an unstoppable drive before Ngog found the bottom corner in stoppage time.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Kelly, Kyrgiakos, Agger, Konchesky, Spearing, Meireles, Maxi (Pacheco 85), Cole (Eccleston 88), Babel (Lucas 78), Ngog. Subs not used: Jones, Johnson, Carragher, Shelvey. Booked: Maxi.
STEAUA BUCHAREST: Tatarusanu, Emeghara (Nicolita 20), Abrudan, Geraldo, Latovlevici, Radut (Surdu 73), Angelov (Eder 52), Bicfalvi, Tanase, Stancu, Kapetanos. Subs not used: Lungu, Gardos, Gomes, Apostol. Booked: Abrudan, Kapetanos, Eder.
Referee: Cesar Muniz Fernandez (Spain).
