Reds held in Holland
12 Sep 2006 - 22:11:32
Liverpool started their Champions League Group C campaign with a lacklustre goalless draw away to Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven.
Rafa Benitez left skipper Steven Gerrard on the bench and PSV almost made a perfect start as Arouna Kone powered clear from the halfway line and smashed a left-foot drive against the crossbar with Jose Reina well beaten.
The visitors were struggling to try and create chances themselves, although Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt started to link up well, despite finding the home defence tough to break down.
Shortly before half-time Fabio Aurelio found Bellamy, but his weak left-foot shot failed to extend Heurelho Gomes.
PSV started the second half in a much more attacking fashion and forced the Reds defence deeper and deeper.
On the hour Kone wasted a clear chance after being played in on the left, sliding a tame shot straight at Reina from ten yards out.
Soon after Edison Mendez thrashed a 40-yard right-foot shot a couple of feet wide, with Reina looking to be in trouble.
A succession of substitutions by both sides then broke up the flow of the game, before Kuyt found space down the middle and drove a shot just wide from all of 30 yards.
Gerrard entered the fray with 13 minutes left to play and he almost snatched an undeserved victory right at the death.
The England international found space to curl in a 20-yard effort which beat Gomes, but came back off the inside of the post.
The other game in the group also ended goalless in Turkey as Galatasaray were held to a 0-0 scoreline by Bordeaux.