Liverpool Cup hopes take a battering

Liverpool 1 Basle 1

Only a first half effort by Milan Baros found did find the net, but the Swiss champions stole a priceless point with their only genuine chance of the night through Julio Rossi. Liverpool, clearly intent on erasing the memory of Valencia from their minds, were almost ahead on just 70 seconds. Baros had already gone on an electrifying run to the edge of the box, and a corner followed.

The ball curled in from Danny Murphy and was struck on the volley by John Arne Riise, the ball bouncing down and up onto the crossbar. On nine minutes, Riise hit the crossbar again after smashing a 0-yard shot Basle’s first effort almost produced a goal on 20 minutes. A corner was half-cleared and belted back into the box, where a fortunate bounce ended at Hakan Yakin’s feet, and his snap shot fizzed just wide.

Owen’s first sight of goal came on 25 minutes and just summed up how things have been going for him. Bruno Cheyrou found the little striker all on his own with a quick ball from defence.

Owen surged onto possession, teased Murat Yakin into a stumble, and took a pace to his right before driving a low shot just wide. He’d done everything right apart from hit the target. The goal finally arrived after relentless pressure on 33 minutes. Heskey robbed former Sunderland man Bernt Haas on the halfway line and raced into yards of open ground before setting up Baros on the edge of the box for a neat shot just inside the post.

Baros nearly scored again on 38 minutes, seeing a header from Murphy’s free-kick, clawed around a post by Zuberbuhler at full stretch.

But after all the that pressure and chances, Basle stole an equaliser after 41 minutes. Hakan Yakin’s ball down the left was cleverly controlled by Julio Rossi, and he spun to squeeze his shot between Jerzy Dudek’s legs. Liverpool’s assault continued after the break, but the game was stretched now, Basle finding space and time to work in and Liverpool starting to tire from constant battering against the Swiss defence.

LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Riise, Murphy, Gerrard, Cheyrou, Heskey, Owen, Baros.

BASLE: Zuberbuhler, Haas, Murat Yakin, Quennoz, Atouba, Barberis, Cantaluppi, Hakan Yakin, Esposito, Juilio Rossi, Gimenez.