Barcelona 1 Liverpool 2: Bellamy and Riise get in the swing for Liverpool

Put Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise together and the Welshman has shown he can do great damage to Liverpool's pristine reputation; last night the pair showed that they can also do great things. If ever Bellamy wanted to make up for his alleged golf-club attack then surely laying on the winner for his team-mate against the European champions in the Nou Camp was one way of saying sorry.

Bellamy passed to Riise for the winner against Barcelona at the Nou Camp and suddenly Liverpool were in the same surreal realm that Manchester United trod in this stadium eight years ago. After four days that have been dominated by Bellamy's apparent assault on Riise with a seven iron, this was the night that had just about as much drama as the evening the wayward Welshman burst into his team-mate's room at their Portuguese training camp.

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Even before Riise struck an unlikely winner, Bellamy had stunned all those who wonder just how far he is prepared to show his contempt for the consequences of his own misbehaviour. After heading the equaliser on the stroke of half-time, the striker celebrated by miming a golf swing. In the rapture of victory, his actions will be brushed aside but this was crass.

It was lucrative too for those who spotted in the Racing Post yesterday morning some novelty odds offered by certain bookmakers of 100-1 if Bellamy scored and celebrated with a golf swing. For an industry that normally relies on the stupidity of punters, this was a rare example of the bookies being undone by underestimating just how daft some footballers really are.

The morality of Benitez's decision to include Bellamy remains open to question although the result does not. It was a famous victory that leaves Liverpool wonderfully poised to eliminate Barcelona at Anfield on 6 March, even if the actions of Bellamy left you wincing. The Liverpool manager preserves a proud record he had at Valencia of never losing at the Nou Camp, and it seems leaving Bellamy out for last week's events was never a consideration.

For Benitez this was yet another victory of the cold pragmatism that is hidden behind the indifference he professes in public. Whether Bellamy is moved out in the summer or not, he has served his purpose for this night in particular - a decision that other managers may have felt unable to make. The Liverpool players brushed aside the notion of a rift between Bellamy and Riise, and forced a grin when confronted with their team-mate's goal celebrations. Jamie Carragher's pre-match prediction proved emphatically right: win and a mountain of problems that have built up were washed away in the tide of euphoria. Bellamy strolled out of the stadium with a broad grin on his face.

Liverpool came perilously close to being eviscerated by a Barcelona team that dominated much of the early stages and scored after 13 minutes but when Barça required some moment of inspiration from Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi or Deco they came up short. This is crisis time in Catalonia after Sunday's defeat to Valencia and the questions fired at Frank Rijkaard in the aftermath were all about how the Barcelona coach had been out-thought.

Certainly, Benitez's formation did not look particularly imaginative, he played a conventional 4-4-2 which seemed to isolate Steven Gerrard on the right in the early stages. There were times when it threatened to look embarrassing, not least when Ronaldinho jinked past Dirk Kuyt with a fabulous piece of skill. By then Barcelona had already taken the lead and there was no debating the man at fault; blame rested squarely on the shoulders of Gerrard.

Taking the ball off Gianluca Zambrotta as he went down the left wing seemed to be a formality for Gerrard but, as the moment came to take the ball away, the full-back slipped past him. Zambrotta did wonderfully well to shape his cross to drop at the far post where, unmarked, the diminutive Deco was well-placed to head home.

It was a low moment for Gerrard, especially as he had laboured so hard to get into the game. For all their pressure, Barcelona could not find a way through for a second goal, and Liverpool had Carragher, above all others, to thank for that.

Then, on 42 minutes, a moment of incredible good fortune for Liverpool. Alonso played a free-kick out right to Steve Finnan who crossed from the right to Bellamy at the back post. His unremarkable header was aimed straight at goalkeeper Victor Valdes who fumbled the ball into the goal. Replays showed it crossed the line before Kuyt put the loose ball in. It was Bellamy's goal - and he had the tee shot to match.

Early in the second half, Liverpool clung on: Pepe Reina stopped a shot from Saviola, Alvaro Arbeloa got his foot in the way of the follow-up from Messi. And then Liverpool turned the game on its head.

The move started on the right when Gerrard passed to Kuyt whose shot was stopped by Valdes. The ball spun up into the air and Rafael Marquez could do no better than head it weakly to Bellamy who looked up and found Riise unmarked in the area. He drilled his shot into the roof of the net.

Deco clipped the post in the closing stages, Carragher was inspirational. Anfield prepares itself for another extraordinary European night.

Swing when you're winning

Bookmakers took a hit last night when Craig Bellamy scored against Barcelona and celebrated with a golf swing, an eventuality William Hill had originally offered at 100/1. "If we get away with less than a £50,000 loss we will be happy," said a Hill's spokesman.

Barcelona (4-1-2-3): Valdes; Belletti, Marquez, Puyol, Zambrotta; Motta (Iniesta 54); Xavi (Giuly, 65), Deco; Messi, Saviola (Gudjohnsen, 82), Ronaldinho. Substitutes not used: Jorquera (gk), Van Bronckhorst, Thuram, Oleguer.

Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa; Gerrard, Sissoko (Zenden, 83), Alonso, Riise; Bellamy (Pennant, 80), Kuyt (Crouch, 90). Substitutes not used: Dudek (gk), Hyypia, Gonzalez, Mascherano.

Referee: K Vassaras (Greece).

* In last night's other Champions League games, Lyon drew 0-0 at Roma, while a late David Silva equaliser gave Valencia a 2-2 draw at Serie A leaders Internazionale.