Those local journalists who greeted Liverpool's arrival in sodden Spain were left confused. It was less the sight of Steven Gerrard striding across the tarmac clutching a copy of Roy Keane's autobiography, more the hint of the brave new attacking world extolled by Gerard Houllier prior to departure.
These are changing times on Merseyside. For two years, the Frenchman has brought a side to Spain determined to stifle, with each goalless stranglehold leaving Barcelona as livid as they were limp. Those draws prompted a vicious backlash in the Spanish media. This year is apparently different, so where better to put the forward-thinking philosophy into operation than against Valencia, the Spanish champions?
"I told you at the end of last season that you'd see a different Liverpool this year, one that would take risks," Houllier said yesterday. "We may concede more, but we will score a lot more goals too. In the Champions League you have to go out and attack opponents, whether you are playing at home or away.
"Sometimes you concede defeat that way, but sometimes you win. Bayer Leverkusen lost 4-1 at Arsenal last season and still made the final. Why? Because they won games. It's clearly a risk worth taking."
Liverpool's unbeaten domestic form suggests as much, though Saturday's win at Bolton was the first time in four matches that the philosophy had yielded three points. With Stephane Henchoz's calf rated only "50-50" for this evening's encounter in the Mestalla, attack may genuinely be the best form of defence.
"The fact Stephane travelled is a good sign, but my whole team can call upon their experiences last year to help them," said Houllier who was in joint charge with Roy Evans the last time Liverpool visited this arena, drawing 2-2 in the 1998 UEFA Cup to progress on away goals. "This is undoubtedly a tough start, but we were close to a semi-final place last season and we have a better squad available to us this time around.
"Our reputation has been restored in European competition and we've only lost once in 16 away trips stretching back four years, though both these teams have made significant progress since the 2-2."
Valencia do not return to the competition, whose final they lost in 2000 and 2001, in particularly feisty fettle. They may have claimed their first title in 31 years and are top again this time around, but they were humiliated 4-0 on aggregate by Deportivo in the Spanish Supercup and only squeezed beyond third division Gimnastica Torrelavega on penalties in the domestic cup last week.
Added to that are the crippling debts which have prevented Rafa Benitez supplementing his squad in the summer, with the coach's ongoing tetchy relationship with Kily Gonzalez hardly improving the mood in the dressing-room. The prospect of Pablo Aimar recovering from a muscle strain will provide a fillip.
Michael Owen should be recalled tonight, most likely alongside Emile Heskey, as Liverpool's renewed attacking verve attempts to speed Valencia's first European Cup defeat at the Mestalla and a first to English opponents in 36 years.
"I'm not going to say we're necessarily ready to win this competition this year," added Houllier. "I don't want the same thing to happen to us that befell France at the World Cup, where they were convinced they'd reach the latter stages and ended up falling at the group stage. But my players are ready for Valencia"
VALENCIA (probable; 4-4-1-1): Canizares; Curro Torres, Ayala, Pellegrino, Carboni; Rufete, Baraja, Albelda, Gonzalez; Aimar; Carew.
LIVERPOOL (probable; 4-4-2): Dudek; Carragher, Diao, Hyypia, Traore; Murphy, Gerrard, Hamann, Riise; Heskey, Owen.
Referee: H Fandel (Germany).
