Trabzonspor 1-2 Liverpool

They stood in the teeming rain, 91 hardy souls, barely able to comprehend the events which were unfolding in front of them, fearing their world was about to cave in.

On the opposite side of the ground, a bedraggled and sodden Roy Hodgson would have known exactly how Liverpool's suffering band of supporters were feeling; being on the cusp of elimination from Europe before the August Bank Holiday week tends to induce such dark emotions.

In a candid moment, long after the Croatian referee Ivan Bebek had brought a dramatic night to an end, Dirk Kuyt was able to describe in two, short words just what the ramifications of suffering the earliest exit in the club's history - "a disaster".
Fortunately, a catastrophe was averted. After it appeared as if this season's European odyssey was over before it had even started - Hodgson referred to it as "looking down the barrel" - Liverpool hauled themselves off the canvas in thrilling fashion.

This was a win that was needed as much to settle nerves as it was to preserve a reputation, for when they trailed with 10 minutes remaining, crisis headlines were being written - do not underestimate the importance of this triumph, achieved so soon after the chastening Manchester City experience.

Heading into the tight, functional stadium, rolling grey clouds could be seen gathering over the hills that flank the Black Sea city of Trabzon and, in many ways, it was hugely symbolic as a storm was brewing on and off the pitch.

Long before kick-off, the locals had been singing, waving flags and bouncing in anticipation, the atmosphere everything it had been built up to be, and within four minutes, Liverpool's leaden-footed start gave Trabzonspor's followers the goal they so desperately craved.

Dirk Kuyt lost possession on the right flank, Gustavo Colman took charge and though he scuffed his shot, it turned out to be the perfect cross as Teofilo Gutierrez - Trabzonspor's lethal weapon - pounced to fire past Pepe Reina.
Had Liverpool's central defenders not held it together, they could easily have been out of this tie within 17 minutes, as Jamie Carragher needed to fly into a tackle that thwarted Ibrahima Yattara and Reina plunged to his left to keep out a Colman blockbuster.

So alarming. With the midfield pedestrian and no long balls from defence sticking, Liverpool - once such an organised, reliable force in these kind of contests - were under intense pressure, struggling to cope with Trabzonspor's energy and efficency.

But, in some ways, was this really a surprise? This calender year, the Reds have played European games in Bucharest, Lille, Lisbon, Madrid, Skopje and now Trabzon; only against Benfica did they produce a display which you would describe as 'Liverpool like'.

When you think of Liverpool's European history, you can recall in a flash stoic, belligerent, lethal performances which have flattened the very best, not limp, lifeless efforts that leave fans tearing their hair out in shock and bewilderment.

They might have kept possession better towards the end of the first period but that was no consolation whatsoever; to be brutally honest, Liverpool, as a collective, bordered on the woeful at times before the interval brought some respite.
Having been so abject, things could only improve and while it would be pushing it to say Hodgson's men were transformed for the re-start, they had more opportunities to score in the first 10 minutes than they mustered in the opening 45.

David Ngog really should have given Liverpool some breathing space but he somehow contrived to head wide from eight yards after good work by Joe Cole then, moments later, his shot squirmed the wrong side of the post when he took the bull by the horns and went alone.

Suddenly, Liverpool had some confidence again and found themselves in a position where they could attempt to dictate the tempo of proceedings; Fabio Aurelio and Martin Kelly, especially, figured prominently, refusing to accept they would fall at this hurdle.

Aurelio departed after 77 minutes, exhausted after running himself into the ground; he was unlucky not to have a goal to his name at that point, as one precise free-kick drifted just past Onur Kivrak's post after taking a deflection off the wall.

With Trabzonspor becoming frustrated, leaving gaps at the back, Liverpool had the tools to take advantage and one Glen Johnson raid led to Remzy Kacar putting through his own net under pressure from Cole and Ngog.

They were hit with another sucker punch when two substitutes, Ryan Babel and Dani Pacheco, combined to provide Kuyt with the simplest of opportunities - running down the touchline, punching the air in delight, the ever enthusiastic Sammy Lee captured the mood of Reds everywhere. Redemption had been found.

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