Valencia - 2 Liverpool - 0 Gerard Houllier had promised a side bristling with attacking intent, anxious to put defensively-minded opponents to the sword, but for Liverpool read Valencia. This was hardly what the Frenchman had had in mind.
A pair of blistering goals conceded in a breathless first half left the visitors flailing and floored. Thereafter, with Dietmar Hamann dismissed, the Spanish champions rarely suggested they might implode as their opponents have twice this season, leaving Houllier playing catch-up in a far from simplistic group.
The surprise omission of Michael Owen had added an unexpected twist to Houllier's pre-match pledge at all-out attack. His replacement was not Milan Baros - a two-goal debutant at the Reebok - but El Hadji Diouf.
Not that the Senegalese had much chance to express any attacking intent. Valencia's success may have been founded upon miserly defence, but they were irrepressible here, swarming all over opponents in the unbearable humidity to such devastating effect that the contest appeared won and lost by the interval.
Valencia have never lost to a British side in this arena and such off-colour opponents could hardly expect to retain parity for long. Aimar's clever probing had already left Salif Diao, a make-shift centre-half in the absence of the crocked Stephane Henchoz, all a dither. When the Argentinean bored and buzzed towards the other flank instead, Hyypia and Djimi Traore were left bemused by a slick exchange with Baraja and Aimar duly steered a low shot across Jerzy Dudek and in.
This was breathless football played to a deafening din. Carew might have added a second, though that proved brief respite as Baraja was given too much space to advance and skim a vicious low shot from 20 yards beyond Dudek into the corner.
In response Liverpool barely mustered a whimper, though Emile Heskey did at least rob Vicente and barged a passage beyond Mauricio Pellegrino and into the box.
But, having wriggled around the advancing Santiago Canizares, his effort hit the post and skimmed tantalisingly along the goal-line and skidded away. Houllier threw on Owen and Bruno Cheyrou at the break but with little effect.
VALENCIA: Canizares, Curro Torres, Ayala, Pellegrino, Carboni, Albelda (de los Santos 84), Rufete (Angulo 74), Baraja, Aimar (Mista 71), Vicente, Carew. Subs not used: Palop, Salva, Sanchez, Marchena. Booked: Pellegrino, Baraja, Mista. Goals: Aimar 20, Baraja 39.
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Carragher, Hyypia, Diao (Cheyrou 46), Traore, Riise, Murphy (Baros 76), Gerrard, Hamann, Heskey, Diouf (Owen 46). Subs not used: Kirkland, Babbel, Berger, Biscan. Sent Off: Hamann (77). Booked: Hamann, Traore.
Referee: Herbert Fandel (Kyllburg).
