Valencia run ’Pool ragged

Valencia 2 Liverpool 0

Valencia produced a master class in European football and scored twice in the first half through Pablo Aimar and Ruben Baraja with Liverpool having Hamann dismissed for two yellow cards with 13 minutes left.

Finalists twice in the last three seasons, Valencia started with the confidence such consistency at the highest level brings.

They interchanged formations and systems at will, 4-5-1, 4-4-2, 4-2-4, all in a bewildering open phase, while keeping possession.

And the chances started to come. Carew’s ninth minute cross was missed by Javier Rufete by inches in the six-yard box, and then Aimar missed connecting with a diving header seconds later.

Liverpool’s involvement in anything but running and marking was limited.

On 17 minutes David Albelda saw a shot from 20 yards deflected for a corner, which was met by the giant Carew, who sent a header wide.

The goal arrived on 19 minutes when Ruben Baraja and Albelda combined with breathtaking speed to send Aimar into the box on the right and he drilled his shot wide of an exposed Jerzy Dudek.

Dietmar Hamann was booked for clattering Aimar on 21 minutes as the flow continued unchecked towards Liverpool’s goal.

On 25 minutes it could have been two when Curro Torres found space on the right and hoisted a cross beyond the far post where Vicente Rodriguez planted a downward header into the six-yard box that Dudek scrambled away from the feet of Carew.

Liverpool had not ventured into Santiago Canizares’ box until the half hour, and from their first effort almost equalised. Jamie Carragher picked up possession halfway, surged down the right and laid a fine pass to Heskey, who powered away from Mauricio Pellegrino. Heskey took the ball wide of the Spanish international keeper and screwed his shot across goal and clipped the far post.

On 35 minutes Djimi Traore brought down Rufete, and was booked amid distasteful monkey noises from the fans. Then on 37 minutes midfielder Ruben Baraja surged on to a Carew knockdown to stride forward and strike a clinical low drive from 20 yards past Dudek’s despairing dive.

Houllier then attempted to change things at the break, taking off both Senegal players. Owen took over from Diouf and Bruno Cheyrou replaced Diao, with Traore moving into central defence and Riise going to left-back.

But Aimar almost made it three on 47 minutes when his 25-yard drive was touched over by Dudek.

Liverpool then created a rare chance. Carragher’s ball into the box was laid back by Owen for Danny Murphy to hit on the volley, Canizares pulling the ball down from underneath the bar.

The presence of Owen unnerved the Spanish defence, and when he ran onto a Murphy pass, it took three defenders to blot him out.

Heskey was now out on the left with Cheyrou playing in the hole, and it gave Liverpool something up front to take the pressure off the back line.

It took Valencia a while to get a grip again, but they did on 63 minutes when Aimar crossed from the right and Carew glanced a header inches wide.

Baraja then curled a 20-yarder wide after Dudek and Carragher had confused each other, the ball being laid back for the midfielder to try his luck.

Mauricio Pellegrino was booked for pulling back Cheyrou as he tried to play Owen in on 66 minutes.

Valencia were resorting to the deep defence that won them the Spanish title, but they had to thank Canizares for maintaining their two-goal lead.

Hamann’s 35-yard free-kick hit a defender, bounced into Cheyrou’s path and the Frenchman’s shot from 10 yards was beaten away by the keeper.

It was hard to believe it could get much worse for Liverpool, but on 77 minutes it did.

Hamann got in a pointless scuffle with substitute Ferrer Mista, and the referee had the second yellow card out in a flash to send the midfielder down the tunnel.

VALENCIA: Canizares, Curro Torres, Ayala, Pellegrino, Carboni, Albelda, Rufete, Baraja, Aimar, Vicente, Carew.

LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Carragher, Hyypia, Diao, Traore, Riise, Murphy, Gerrard, Hamann, Heskey, Diouf. Subs: Kirkland, Baros, Babbel, Owen, Berger, Biscan, Cheyrou. Referee: Herbert Fandel (Kyllburg)