Liverpool build to crescendo

Soccer/Liverpool 8 Besiktas 0It was impossible for Liverpool to do anything more in Group A than hoist themselves into third place, but they have raised their confidence level to the very heavens with this record-breaking Champions League victory. It will be a while before they have to listen to reproaches over a mechanical style.

The side was still bent on scoring in the 88th minute when Peter Crouch hit the eighth goal, his second of the evening, from a Yossi Benayoun pass.

The Israel midfielder had already bagged a hat-trick, and substitute Ryan Babel claimed two while also hitting the bar.

Despite those pyrotechnics this had been a mature showing, with Liverpool steadily building their dominance. There had not, admittedly, been much reason lately for exuberance over events here.

Manly sobs will have to be stifled when Liverpool leave this ground to move to a new home in 2010, but the players can be excused if they have not been feeling all that much fondness for Anfield this season. They have won only a single Premier League game in five attempts on this pitch and it was here, too, that the defeat by Marseille started to put them under pressure in the Champions League.

The reaction last night to a difficult situation was not, to begin with, an outpouring of passionate attacks. Rafael Benitez's reputation does not rest on demonstrative football of that sort. His methods, nonetheless, have led to a handsome career and he was right to think that methodical football would lead to a breakthrough.

With just over half-an-hour completed, Liverpool led 2-0.

The visitors were missing their best defender, the centre-back Gokhan Zan, through injury, and surely doubted their durability.

Benitez's team selections normally carry an element of surprise and the inclusion of Fabio Aurelio at left-back was unexpected, although it was understandable that his crossing on the overlap might be reckoned valuable to Crouch.

The latter's fame has dipped a little and he has had to settle lately for being a cause celebre instead, as fans bemoaned the limited use of him. Nonetheless, sightings of Crouch have not been uncommon in the Champions League, starting with the qualifying round against Toulouse. He was a persistent cause of panic to Besiktas before the interval.

In the eighth minute he headed a delivery from John Arne Riise off target. There was no reason for him to rue that when chances kept on presenting themselves, as they did for the opener.

Andriy Voronin aimed a pass towards him after 19 minutes and, when the holding midfielder Edouard Cisse sought to intercept, he simply prodded the ball into the path of Crouch. The first attempt by the England striker was saved by Hakan Arikan, but he knocked in the rebound.

That goal and later developments could have reduced Besiktas to self-pity. With 32 minutes gone they should have been awarded a throw-in after the ball broke from Riise but the Norwegian took it himself. Voronin crossed deep and Benayoun finished well with a low drive.

Besiktas had probably merited the victory over Liverpool two weeks ago but that success cannot have transformed them. Though they were dainty at times, there was not the vigour of mind and body to give Liverpool flashbacks to unhappy days at this ground over the past few months.

Instead they could simply revel in this fixture. Besiktas, disheartened, became ever more fragile and Voronin, in this mood, would have smashed far tougher visitors than these. The energy of the Ukrainian was a marvel, but that vitality was applied with discernment. His pass set up Riise for the typically bullish shot that Arikan pushed out as far as Benayoun, who notched his second goal after 52 minutes.

The hat-trick for the Israeli was an inevitability, considering how gleeful this part of the game had been. When Lamine Diatta brought down Voronin, Steven Gerrard's free-kick came back off the goalkeeper to, of course, the waiting Benayoun.

Liverpool wishes were coming true and the singing welled up in acclaim for Benitez.

Jubilation also gushed out for a beautiful goal by Steven Gerrard, who completed a pair of one-twos with Javier Mascherano and Voronin before smashing home his finish after 69 minutes.

Not to be outdone, Babel notched a sixth by flicking home a Benayoun cut-back with the inside of his heel.

With nine minutes to go, the Dutchman then lobbed Arikan for the seventh.

Liverpool:Reina, Aurelio (Babel 63), Hyypia, Carragher, Arbeloa, Riise, Mascherano, Gerrard (Lucas 72), Benayoun, Voronin (Kewell 72), Crouch. Subs not used:Martin, Finnan, Torres, Kuyt.

Besiktas:Arikan, Uzulmez, Toraman, Diatta, Kurtulus (Higuain 62), Sedef (Ricardinho 78), Cisse, Avci, Ozcan (Tandogan 46), Delgado, Bobo. Subs not used:Rustu, Yozgatli, Kas, Karadeniz. Booked:Ozcan.

Referee: Markus Merk(Germany).