Uefa Champions League first knockout round, second legLiverpool's considerable achievement in deposing Barcelona drew "hear hears" when it was brought up by one member of English parliament during prime minister's questions yesterday, though back on Merseyside thoughts were already fixed on improvement.

Progress into the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the expense of the holders may be admirable but the perfectionist in Rafael Benitez will never be satisfied.

The Spaniard has seen the best and worst of his side in recent weeks. Magnificent at the Camp Nou in the defining first leg, Liverpool maintained their dominance against Manchester United and then in Tuesday's return against Barcelona, only for familiar deficiencies up front to blunt their challenge. Against United, the home forwards mustered 15 attempts on goal, a tally matched against the Catalans. On each occasion, none yielded reward.

Amid the joyous scenes which greeted the final whistle on Tuesday, the fact it was a second successive home defeat was easily forgotten. After all, it was utterly appropriate to concentrate instead on the mauling Liverpool inflicted on their opponents before the interval and then their smothering defence later in the game which choked the champions' comeback. But Benitez was left infuriated that his front line - whether it be Craig Bellamy, Dirk Kuyt, Peter Crouch or those breaking from midfield - could not kill off this tie and spare him his late anxieties.

"We have seen these things all season," admitted the Spaniard. "We deserved to score a lot of goals in the first half, hitting the bar twice, and even in the second half when Barcelona had more possession we had chances on the break. We weren't finishing the opportunities we were creating but we still worked so hard. We managed to hang on and made sure we qualified."

The recruitment of a striker remains a priority in the summer. Liverpool languish 19 points off the top of the Premiership with the theory accepted that, had they possessed a clinical forward capable of scoring 20 goals a season - a Robbie Fowler of the mid-1990s, not mid-2000s - they might just have been challenging nearer the pinnacle.

Bellamy, hardly a prolific scorer throughout his career, has managed nine goals in all competitions and Kuyt, still adjusting to life in England, a promising yet not earth-shattering 10. It said much that the hosts' greatest threat came from John Arne Riise's hammer of a left foot from deep.

Almost forgotten is Peter Crouch, the top scorer with 13 this term but with only one start - and that curtailed by injury - in a little over a month. "I feel when I've played I've got goals," he said yesterday.

"Certainly at the start of the season I was on a good run for club and country. I feel I can get goals, as I'm sure all the other strikers do. I think I've got five goals in the Champions League and I'd like to keep that tally going if called upon in the next round."

The forward admitted to feeling "frustrated" at being restricted to the bench.

Certainly, the profligacy at one end is heaping pressure on those at the other, with Benitez's side increasingly reliant upon Jamie Carragher's excellence.

"He has a never-say-die attitude, but it isn't just that with Carra," said Crouch. "He's a determined, wholehearted player and a top-class defender and we're so pleased to have him. Carra always has a lot to say before and during games, always shouting and barking orders. He is a leader. I don't think anybody would relish playing against him."

Barcelona, meanwhile, could have few complaints about their exit, according to the consensus in the Spanish press yesterday.

Former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen gave Barca hope with a 75th-minute strike at Anfield, but according to Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo, it took Barca too long to get going.

"Rijkaard's team woke up too late," said the paper, whose front-page headline was simply "The End", in English.

AS also went for an English headline for their match report, saying: "Bye bye Barcelona."

"Gudjohnsen scores at Anfield, but they lacked another goal. Rijkaard lined up with three defenders, but Barca created little danger. Liverpool could have scored a number of goals before the break."

Sport were more sympathetic to Barca, saying "They fell with honour." "Liverpool were devastating in the first half, but in the second Barca deserved more," added the newspaper.

Madrid-based Marca also noted how Barca's attacking line-up failed to fire at Anfield, despite Rijkaard starting with all three of his strikers - Samuel Eto'o, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi. Guardian Service