Champions League: Liverpool return to the Champions League in style

Liverpool returned to the Champions League with a comfortable if unconvincing win over FC Haka.

Robbie Fowler scored the first, Jamie Redknapp after 15 months of injury anguish, blasted the second and Emile Heskey drilled in the third.

With great irony, it was former Manchester United youngster David Wilson who dived to head an own goal with seven minutes left to complete Liverpool's victory.

But Haka were never outfought, scored a shock equaliser on the stroke of half time, and departed Anfield with their heads high.

Fowler had a couple of half chances but Liverpool rarely looked like producing the glut of goals expected with poor passing and lack of telling possession keeping the scoresheet blank.

Igor Biscan got in Liverpool's best early effort when he blasted over the bar from 18 yards after Bernard Diomede's clever run and cross had been laid back to the Croatian by Djimi Traore.

On 30 minutes, Haka keeper Andras Vilnrotter was forced into his first save, as he struggled to keep out a blistering 25-yarder from Redknapp. The ball bounced out off the 'keeper's hands and Nick Barmby hit the rebound wide.

But the man all of Anfield wanted to break the deadlock managed just that on 36 minutes.

Redknapp's corner reached Diomede, whose hooked shot was palmed away by Vilnrotter - but only as far as Fowler, who dived forward to head Liverpool ahead.

The Kop were silenced by the an equaliser on the stroke of half time after Stephen Wright saw a header from Diomede's cross saved by the keeper, who then thumped the ball the length of the pitch.

Traore tried to take possession, but the ball bounced away and striker Peter Kovacs clipped the ball past the exposed Pegguy Arphexad.

It took Liverpool just five minutes to regain the lead, when Redknapp's pass presented Fowler with an opening that was instantly closed. But the striker kept possession well and neatly slipped the ball to Diomede, whose laid back pass was thumped into the roof of the net by Redknapp.

It was 3-1 after 56 minutes when Redknapp's fine pass found Heskey, and the big striker brushed aside his marker before striding on to slide the ball past Vilnrotter from the edge of the box.

Four minutes later, Heskey was replaced by Finland ace Jari Litmanen, then Hyypia was replaced by Markus Babbel into defence. Then Gerrard, on 70 minutes, replaced Redknapp.

Wilson's unfortunate intervention came in the 83rd minute when he dived to head home in his own six-yard box from a Barmby free-kick.