Soccer: History not on Liverpool's side

LIVERPOOL, UK - A tie drenched in history for Liverpool for all the wrong reasons will probably have to create history for all the right ones if the English club are to reach the Champions League semifinals next week.

Liverpool won the first leg of a dramatic quarterfinal 2-1 against Juventus at Anfield on Tuesday, but may still struggle to each the last four, according to coach Rafael Benitez.

"We won against a really great side, even though I accept that we must score in Turin," Benitez said.

Liverpool built a 2-0 halftime lead with superb goals from Sami Hyypia and Luis Garcia but a mistake by goalkeeper Scott Carson allowed Juve to pull one back in the second half through a Fabio Cannavaro header.

However, apart from the 1984 European Cup final against AS Roma, which, nominally at least, was played at the neutral Olympic Stadium in Rome, Liverpool have failed to score a goal in a knockout match in Italy in either the old European Cup or Champions League.

In 1964-65 Inter Milan beat them 3-0 in the European Cup and in 2001-02 they drew 0-0 with Roma in the Champions League.

Juventus have also won both matches they have played against Liverpool in Turin without conceding a goal.

In 1965-66 they won 1-0 in a European Cup Winners Cup match, although Liverpool won the tie 2-1 on aggregate, and in 1984-85, a few months before the Heysel Stadium disaster, they lost 0-2 to Juventus in the European Super Cup.

Commemoration of the disaster of 20 years ago when 39 mainly Italian fans died at the European Cup final between the two teams dominated the buildup to Tuesday's match and will no doubt be repeated in Turin next week.

The players and coaches, though, are totally focused on next week's action on the pitch.

Benitez added: "As far as the second leg is concerned, we do have confidence but we know it will be more difficult. But do not forget that they must win the match to go through, they must attack us and only time will tell whether their goal was more important than our two.

"If we win or draw we are through. But do not forget that we have played very well against a great team. For me it means we can beat all the other teams in the tournament, but we must be confident to go through. "

Italian coach Fabio Capello also knows the tie is still wide open. "We came back very strongly after Liverpool dominated the first half," he said, "I think you will see a very different Juventus in front of our own fans next week."

Liverpool were awesome in the opening 45 minutes, never letting control slip after winning a corner straight from the kickoff and taking a 2-0 lead through left-foot volleys from Hyypia and Garcia inside the opening 25 minutes.

Steven Gerrard was inspirational in the Liverpool midfield as Juventus were totally out-played. But the Italians clawed their way back into the match in the second half and gave themselves real hope when a howler by reserve goalkeeper Scott Carson allowed Cannavaro to score with a 63rd minute header that should have been saved.

- REUTERS