Liverpool draw strength from cautious approach

Borussia Dortmund 0 Liverpool

Liverpool remain unbeaten in Group B after what might be politely termed an attritional tussle against Borussia Dortmund in a Ruhr Valley rainstorm last night. Returning to the scene of their pulsating 5-4 victory over Alaves in the Uefa Cup final in May, Gérard Houllier's team showed another facet of their character by keeping their first clean sheet in nine matches.

After a game that was as barren as their previous visit proved bountiful, against opponents who shook the woodwork in the second half but displayed little of the quality of their European Cup-winning class of '97, Liverpool now need to make the most of a home date with with Dynamo Kiev next Wednesday.

Much as Leeds built on a fortuitous win over Milan 12 months ago by taking four points from Besiktas, Liverpool's back-to-back fixtures with the Ukrainian champions offer them a chance to plant one foot in the second round. They will approach their task heartened by the knowledge that Dortmund, who visit Anfield on the final evening of the first phase, are clearly terrified by Michael Owen and Emile Heskey.

The close attention which Houllier's front two attracted bordered on paranoia at times, providing proof, lest any were needed, that the scars to the German psyche left by England's 5-1 World Cup win in Munich have not healed. Likewise the decision of Dortmund's coach, Mattias Sammer, to alter his defensive formation in a show of excessive caution.

In the first half in particular, Dortmund seemed to be there for the taking, yet Liverpool were too tentative to take advantage. Houllier, however, deemed it "a good point from a hard-fought match", adding: "Away from home, against a team with the experience Dortmund have in this competition, we would consider this a positive result.

"Maybe we could have done better, especially on the break, but overall I'm pleased. Our final ball wasn't always the best, and offensively it was perhaps only an average performance. We came here for a win, but Dortmund changed their system, which probably showed great respect to our strikers.

"What was pleasing was that we were strong and composed at the back. We were never really in trouble and controlled the game in a basic sense."

Houllier, normally a disciple of squad rotation, trusted in the side who had beaten Everton last weekend. The only change was positional, Steven Gerrard switching to a central role, albeit too deep to be as dangerous as Liverpool's 500 followers would have liked.

However, Owen, that other hero of the game in Munich, caused panic whenever there was the merest hint of his making a run, the Dortmund back line looking scared of leaving space behind them. Christian Wörns, substituted at half-time in the Olympic Stadium, stayed closest to him, often with a colleague doubling up.

Heskey, too, provoked some anxious challenges, notably one which earned Miroslav Stevic a 17th-minute caution and another by Jurgen Kohler that resulted in a free-kick routine which sought to exploit John Arne Riise's shooting power.

Jerzy Dudek scarcely touched the ball in earnest all night, though he might have been retrieving it from the net after 26 minutes had Jan Derek Sorensen's cross not cleared even the 6ft 7in Jan Koller.

The amount of possession Sorensen saw on the right suggested Sammer saw Gregory Vignal as a weak link, but Koller otherwise received scant service and was nearer his own area when Stephane Henchoz was booked for fouling him.

Liverpool never came closer than they did in the 41st minute as Sami Hyypia met Riise's corner with a glancing header. Evanilson, at the far post, kicked off the line.

Vignal was certainly exposed when he sliced a clearance three minutes after the interval. Henchoz tried to clear the ball behind and succeeded, but not before heading it against Dudek's right-hand upright.

Despite a 22-yard drive by Tomas Rosicky after 69 minutes, which thudded against the same post, Dortmund's inability to sustain the tempo with which they began the second half led to an eerie calm settling upon the stands.

Borussia Dortmund (4-3-3): Lehmann; Evanilson, Worns, Kohler, Dede; Reuter, Rosicky, Stevic; Sorensen (Ricken, 87), Koller, Amoroso (Bobic, 87). Substitutes not used: Herrlich, Oliseh, Metzelder, Madouni, Laux (gk).

Liverpool (4-4-2): Dudek; Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Vignal; Gerrard, Hamann, Murphy, Riise (McAllister, 75); Owen, Heskey. Substitutes not used: Smicer, Fowler, Barmby, Biscan, Wright, Arphexad (gk).

Referee: V Ivanov (Russia).