Wednesday, November 07, 2007

LiverpooL 8 - 0 Besiktas

Liverpool racked up the biggest-ever Champions League margin, blitzing Besiktas 8-0 at Anfield courtesy of Yossi Benayoun's clinical hat-trick.

The pressure was on Rafael Benitez's Reds after banking just a point from their first three Group A games - but first-half goals from Peter Crouch and Benayoun set them on course for a crucial three-point haul.

Far from backing off after the break, the hosts went goal crazy in the second half, with Benayoun bagging the second and third of his treble before seeing Steven Gerrard (69), Ryan Babel (79 and 81) and Crouch (89) also net.

Andriy Voronin and Crouch started up front, with Fernando Torres on the bench, and both looked lively early on, respectively dragging a shot and steering a header narrowly off target.

Mehmet Sedef sidefooted a good chance wide for this visitors, who fell behind on 19 minutes when Crouch reacted quickly to stab home a rebound after Hakan Arikan had saved his first left-footed effort.

The collective relief around Anfield was tangible and the Reds were 2-0 up on 32, when Benayoun controlled Voronin's left-wing cross and volleyed an unstoppable drive into the back of the net.

John Arne Riise had a goalbound header cleared off the line and Crouch flashed a shot narrowly wide as the Reds finished the half strongly.

Benayoun pounced on two clangers by reserve keeper Arikan, who fumbled Riise's blockbuster and Gerrard's free-kick, to collect his hat-trick (53 and 56) and that opened the floodgates, with Gerrard slotting after a superb one-two with the impressive Voronin.

Sub Babel bagged a cheeky sixth with a close-range backheel - and his second was very fortunate as a defensive clearance hit his back and looped over the keeper and under the crossbar.

Babel was denied a treble as his header rattled the crossbar - but the Reds still went after eight and the icing on the cake came when Benayoun crossed for Crouch to head home.

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