Liverpool exit after stirring comeback

Basel 3

Goals from Vladimir Smicer, Danny Murphy and Michael Owen somehow saw Liverpool claw their way level in a dramatic second period, but they could not force the victory that would have sent them into the last 16.

If the task was not difficult enough to win here, Basel made it almost as high as one of their country’s mountains. Yakin got away on the left, Jamie Carragher did not get anywhere near him and when the cross was drilled into the box, there was no-one within yards of Rossi either as he gleefully cracked the ball past Jerzy Dudek.

After 21 minutes Liverpool were cut open down the middle and when Hakan Yakin played a quick ball into the path of Gimenez there was no defender within yards and he raced on to clip the ball over Dudek.

Another Yakin free-kick, again 25 yards out on 28 minutes, created the third.

Dudek made a marvellous diving save to push the swerving shot away but it went straight to full-back Timothee Atouba, who managed to turn the ball back across the keeper and into the far side of the net.

Liverpool could easily have scored two minutes later when first Michael Owen and then John Arne Riise in the six-yard box had efforts blocked.

The Swiss keeper then blocked a Smicer angled drive on 34 minutes as Liverpool tried to fight back.

Antonio Esposito was booked on 39 minutes for holding Owen, a caution that will put him out of the next match.

Liverpool took off the plainly ineffective Steven Gerrard at the break and brought on Salif Diao, the task by now impossible.

But Owen did manage to wriggle his way into the box and fire a shot into the side-netting two minutes after the break.

Liverpool also persisted with Heskey wide on the left despite Owen being overpowered by two big defenders.

But Basel were soon back on the attack when Atouba was able to thread a 25-yard pass to the feet of the unmarked Yakin yet again, and the midfielder turned to fire a dipping shot over Dudek’s crossbar.

Owen hooked over from Smicer’s cross before Sami Hyypia somehow headed away after Rossi had chipped the ball over Dudek.

Liverpool then got a lifeline on 61 minutes when another Smicer pull back was hammered in by Danny Murphy, Milan Baros coming on for Heskey before the restart.

Basel looked worried for the first time and two minutes later Baros and Diao combined to find Smicer, who hammered the ball in from 10 yards.

As the Czech tried to retrieve the ball from the back of the net, he tangled with Zuberbuhler and was booked for his pains.

But Liverpool were back in it and Basel soon brought on Sebastien Barberis for Gimenez to add fresh legs.

On 69 minutes Murphy was booked for protesting too strongly after being penalised when it looked like he had played the ball first in a tackle.

Dudek made a stunning save to stop Rossi finishing it on 74 minutes, and the Argentinian was then taken off to be replaced by Herve Tum.

Basel looked to catch Liverpool as they poured forward looking for the equaliser, which almost came when Baros cut in from the right to fire over.

They threw on another striker in El Hadji Diouf with 12 minutes left in a last desperate throw of the dice.

Ivan Ergic then ran 40 yards before forcing Dudek into another flying save in the 81st minute.

But Liverpool got their equaliser with six minutes left when Murat Yakin was penalised for handling as he fell on the ball as Owen cut through.

Zuberbuhler saved Owen’s spot kick but the versatile striker was first to the rebound to force the ball home.

BASLE: Zuberbuhler, Murat Yakin, Zwyssig, Esposito, Haas, Cantaluppi, Ergic, Atouba, Hakan Yakin, Juilio Rossi, Gimenez.

LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Carragher, Traore, Hyypia, Riise, Smicer, Gerrard, Hamann, Murphy, Heskey, Owen.