KUYT FIRES REDS TO VICTORY

Liverpool's Champions League campaign is off to a winning start following a 1-0 triumph over Debrecen.

The Reds produced a patient, confident display against the Hungarian champions to notch up their 100th win in the European Cup courtesy of Dirk Kuyt's first-half goal.
 
It means the home side marked Rafael Benitez's 300th match in charge with victory and ensured they got their Group E campaign off to the perfect start.
 
Fresh from an emphatic 4-0 victory over Burnley at the weekend, it was no surprise to see the five-time winners of the competition take control from the kick-off.
 
First Fernando Torres drilled just over with a snap shot from 25 yards before Laszlo Bodnar headed clear after Lucas Leiva had flicked a right-wing free-kick goalwards.
 
Both opportunities arrived in the first five minutes and it set the tone for the remainder of the match with Liverpool continuing to probe while Debrecen worked hard to keep the Reds at bay.
 
On 13 minutes Kuyt took advantage of the space created by Albert Riera's quick free-kick to fire a low shot wide of the near post before the Spaniard scuffed his attempt off target after the visitors had failed to deal with the danger caused by Glen Johnson's rampaging run.
 
It was the one-way traffic that had been predicted, although the away side did manage to force a corner midway through the half, much to the delight of the Hungarian support.
 
The cheer of joy could even have been followed by a thunderous roar, but Bodnar miscued his 20 yarder into the Kop after the Reds had only half-cleared Peter Czvitkovics' pacy set piece.
 
The chance gave Andras Herczeg's men a visible lift and Czvitkovics went even closer with a stinging drive that Pepe Reina was forced to tip over the crossbar. The Reds stopper was then called into action again on 33 minutes when he comfortably gathered Bodnar's speculative 40-yard free-kick.
 
As an attacking threat the away side had mustered more in the first period than their followers would have hoped for, but as the half drew to a close the Reds began to press for the all-important opener.
 
A flurry of goalmouth incident in the final seven minutes of the first 45 eventually brought the reward the hosts deserved.
 
Riera started off the spell of intense pressure when his low shot was beaten away by Vukasin Poleksic, with Kuyt seeing his attempt to tuck home the rebound hacked off the line.
 
The Spanish winger was looking more and more dangerous and his long range piledriver just seconds later was again superbly pushed to safety by Debrecen's 'keeper before Steven Gerrard powered a header over the top from the resulting corner.
 
Liverpool continued to knock on the door and Gerrard slid a great chance inches wide after Emiliano Insua and Riera had carved the away side open down the left.
 
It had been a first period full of missed opportunities but just when it seemed the visitors would get to the break all-square, Liverpool finally carved out the opportunity that broke the deadlock.
 
A neat turn and shot from Torres was fumbled by Poleksic allowing Kuyt to close in and fire home the rebound. It was the Dutchman's third of the season and a strike that saw him become the joint-third highest scorer for the club in the European Cup.
 
The mood within the stadium was immediately lifted and it almost erupted on 54 minutes when Gerrard fizzed a sensational 25 yard volley just over.
 
Next it was Yossi Benayoun, fresh from his hat-trick heroics at the weekend, who went close to doubling the lead, but his near post shot on 65 minutes was palmed away by Poleksic after the Israeli had danced his way into the area with a weaving run.
 
The midfielder then picked himself up and delivered a pinpoint corner that Lucas met with a firm header that flew just beyond the upright.
 
Liverpool's dominance was not being reflected on the scoreboard and they were almost caught on the break late on when Adamo Coulibaly broke the offside trap, only to miscue his attempted lob over Reina.
 
Benayoun then crashed a shot over the top following good work from substitute Ryan Babel and Torres as the Reds held on to secure a narrow victory that puts them in the Group E driving seat.

Teams

Liverpool: Reina, Insua, Carragher, Skrtel, Johnson, Riera, Gerrard (c), Leiva, Benayoun, Kuyt, Torres. Subs - Aurelio, Babel, Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Mascherano, Spearing, Voronin
 
Debrecen: Poleksic, Fodor, Komlosi, Meszaros, Bodnar, Szakaly, Kiss (c), Ramos, Czvitkovics, Coulibaly, . Subs - Bernath, Feczesin, Katona, Laczko, Olah, Pantic, Szucs
 
Referee: Pedro Proenca (Por)
 
Conditions: Unavailable
 
Attendance: Unavailable
 
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Dirk Kuyt

Breakdown

18:45 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Dirk and Fernando get this year's Champions League campaign underway...see you in nine months, Madrid
2 mins : An unchanged Reds XI...
3 mins : Lovely take by Yossi down the right...lays it to Torres but he's offside
4 mins : Torres adjusts to volley one from 20 yards...wide into the Anfield Road End
6 mins : Terrible challenge on Lucas and Liverpool have a free-kick in a useful position down the right...it's headed off the line
8 mins : Arsenal 2-0 down in Liege
11 mins : Composed play by Dirk...finds some space to swing one in for Yossi at the far post...offside
13 mins : Debrecen have a number 77...Peter Czvitkovics...don't want to be typing that out too often!
13 mins : Dirk from the edge of the box...drags it wide
14 mins : The visitors are going in for some tough tackles
16 mins : Dirk is having a belter...he's everywhere
17 mins : I like the way they roll in Hungary...their number 10 is at left-back
19 mins : Another terrible challenge on Lucas...ref plays the advantage...ball eventually comes to Albert, who drives wide from range
20 mins : Torres wins a corner
20 mins : Gerrard plays it short to Insua, who's tackled
21 mins : First Booking: Marcell Fodor: Awful hack on Yossi, who would have been clear
22 mins : Gerrard from 30-odd yards...again it's wide
23 mins : Debrecen have a corner...cleared to their number 10 full-back...oh dear, he won't want to see the replay of that shot
26 mins : First Booking: Steven Gerrard: For taking a free-kick too early. Absolutely ridiculous
28 mins : Stevie and Torres combine to put Yossi through...but that's a fine tackle from the centre-back
30 mins : Fine effort from the number 77...Reina forced to tip over
33 mins : Lucas pulled up for a foul even though he clearly got the ball...their number 10 full-back shoots from 40 yards and, predictably, Reina saves comfortably
34 mins : Liverpool break...Riera has it...shoots from 25 yards...the keeper was beaten but it drifts wide
36 mins : The Hungarians starting to enjoy some possession...number 77 volleys from the edge of the box...into row Z of the Kop
38 mins : Carra plays Riera through...he's one on one...takes a touch...it's saved...Kuyt on the rebound...cleared off the line
39 mins : Riera rides two challenges...he blasts one...keeper parries and Torres just can't get there
42 mins : Stevie swings his right boot at one from 25 yards...curls over
44 mins : Insua finds Riera wide left...sends a low ball across the area...Gerrard is running onto it...how did he miss?
45 mins : GOAL! Dirk Kuyt: Kuyt pounces after a Torres shot is parried
19:34 GMT : Half Time Reached
19:46 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : The second half is up and running and it will be interesting to see if Debrecen can maintain this tempo
49 mins : Johnson bursts into the box...tries to find the in-coming Torres but it's intercepted
51 mins : Gerrard dragged down in the box...how is that not a penalty?
55 mins : Brilliant volley from Stevie outside the box...shaves the crossbar
60 mins : Riera cuts inside for Gerrard...drives a low one but it's no problem for Poleksic
63 mins : Attendance: 41,591
65 mins : Kamikaze defending from Debrecen but they escape...
65 mins : Yossi skips past five challenges before having his low shot to the near post parried for a corner
67 mins : Lucas powers a header wide from Yossi's corner
67 mins : Substitution: Zsolt Laczko for Luis Ramos:
68 mins : Okay, forget their number 77 full-back...now they have a number 86 on the pitch
78 mins : Coulibaly is through...tries to lob Reina...he does so...Carra heads clear for a corner
79 mins : Substitution: Robert Feczesin for Peter Szakaly:
80 mins : Substitution: Ryan Babel for Albert Riera:
82 mins : Coulibaly could have another chance here...well defended Skrtel
83 mins : Babel finds Torres...rushes into the box...squares for Kuyt, who mis-kicks...it's come to Yossi...fires over
87 mins : Substitution: Javier Mascherano for Yossi Benayoun:
90 mins : Substitution: Fabio Aurelio for Dirk Kuyt:
20:35 GMT : Match Over