Reds shadow squad do the job in Romania

At least there is one English team capable of getting the job done in the face of Eastern European opposition.

On the day the domestic game suffered the blow of missing out on hosting the World Cup to Russia, an understrength Liverpool survived a severe test behind the former Iron Curtain to secure progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League with a game to spare.

It wasn't pretty. But a resilient, disciplined defensive performance proved enough to earn the required point against Steaua Bucharest on a dismal evening in Romania.

Given the platform of Milan Jovanovic's 19th-minute strike, Liverpool made life unnecessarily difficult when Pepe Reina allowed Eder Bonfim's tame header to squirm over the line shortly past the hour.

Not the way the goalkeeper would have wanted to mark his stint as captain with skipper Steven Gerrard and deputy Jamie Carragher both injured.

Yet it mattered little, with the 3-3 draw between FC Utrecht and Napoli in Group K's other game ensured Liverpool as section winners and rendered their final group encounter in a fortnight against the former similarly irrelevant.

So continues Hodgson's impressive record in this competition. While finding consistent domestic success elusive this season, the Liverpool manager has now lost none of the nine Europa League games since taking charge at Anfield in the summer.

With Reina the only player retained from Sunday's gut-wrenching defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, Hodgson was once again reliant on his fringe and reserve players to finish a task they have done well in in Europe this season.

He will have learned much. Although most definitely second string, Liverpool's starting line-up nevertheless contained seven full internationals, and that experience contributed to what has become a trademark European away performance under Hodgson.

Sitting deep, the Anfield outfit were content to defend in numbers and then hit on the counter-attack, spearheaded by the pace of Ryan Babel, given the striking role he so covets.

The Dutchman responded with a solid performance, the highlight of which was his assist for Jovanovic's first-half opener, but will require more than this to salvage a Liverpool career that has drifted alarmingly in recent times.

Jovanovic himself has become something of a forgotten man and while his strike was a timely reminder of his presence, his overall display suggested there is plenty of room for improvement.

So too Joe Cole. Challenged to ignite his Anfield career on his comeback from injury, the midfielder understandably struggled for his touch on a heavy pitch and was guilty of spurning an inviting first-half chance.

Neither Danny Wilson nor Dani Pacheco have been seen in a Liverpool shirt since September's humiliating Carling Cup exit to Northampton, but both were among those given another chance with Wilson gaining from the experience in his preferred centre-back role alongside man-of-the-match Sotirios Kyrgiakos.

Steaua were beaten 4-1 at Anfield in September, and since then Ilie Dumitrescu has been replaced as coach by European Cup-winning club legend Marius Lacatus.

But although having been beaten only once in 12 home games this season, a run of just three league wins in 12 has seen the Bucharest side slump to seventh place in their domestic league.

The treacherous conditions in Romania, coupled with the travel difficulties back in England, meant the attendance was less than capacity with around 200 hardy away fans having made the trip.

Liverpool conceded early when they visited this stadium in February to take on Unirea Urziceni before ultimately cruising to a 3-1 win. This time, though, they struck the opening blow with their first real attack on 19 minutes.

Jovanovic ended a purposeful run by feeding Babel on the right, and they continued unattended into the area to deftly head the Dutchman's cross beyond Steaua goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu.

It should have been 2-0 moments later. Another counter-attack saw the busy Babel, this time down the left, send Cole clear inside the area but, rather than supplying a simple finish, the England international stood on the ball and the attack eventually fizzled out with Pacheco dragging a tame shot wide.

Steaua had enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, and Eric Bicfalvi should have done better when sending a free header over the crossbar from Romeo Surdu's left-wing cross.

The Romanians later tested Liverpool's makeshift defence with a succession of crosses and corners that, thanks to some fine defending from Kyrgiakos in particular, yielded nothing other than a Bicfalvi shot from range that flew harmlessly wide.

But Steaua should have levelled on the stroke of half-time after a mistake by Kyrgiakos.

The Greek allowed himself to be muscled off the ball inside the area by the home team's top scorer Bogdan Stancu, but breathed a sigh of relief when, with just Reina to beat, the striker produced a finish almost as woeful as FIFA's decision to hold World Cups in Russia and Qatar, his shot dribbling wide.

Steaua stayed on the offensive after the break. Another chance went begging when a cross from Cristian Tanase was met by Geraldo Alves but the centre-back's header was close enough to Reina for the goalkeeper to make a save.

But when the Romanians netted the goal they deserved, it was a gift. A ball into the box by substitute Stanislav Angelov was headed goalwards by Bonfim and Reina, possibly distracted by Romeo Surdu in close attendance, allowed the ball to squirm out of his grasp, between his legs and over the line.

Liverpool almost regained the lead immediately when a towering header from Kyrgiakos to meet Fabio Aurelio's left-wing corner crashed against the crossbar.

The Brazilian was then at fault at the other end with a loose clearance that allowed Banel Nicolita to crack in a shot that flashed narrowly wide, before Stancu saw a curling effort dip narrowly over.

Steaua, though, ran out of steam in the final quarter.

Now Liverpool can look forward to a further European adventure in the New Year.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.