Uefa Champions League: Liverpool have become the masters of the European victory that is as addictive to watch as it is virtually unbearable.
In their first genuine game in the tournament since beating Milan in last season's final there were fluctuations before they could take a precious victory from opponents who dream of splitting them and Chelsea in Group G.
The visitors initially thrived through audacity. Without the likes of John Arne Riise and Steven Gerrard, who would come on as substitutes eventually, they played with a ruthless verve to go 2-0 in front. Thereafter the Anfield side were reduced to scraping survival out of sheer resolve as all the panache was transferred to Real Betis.
Even so, this was only the Spaniards' second home defeat in 14 European matches and, with a late free-kick by Marcos Assuncao, clutched by the goalkeeper Jose Reina, an unorthodox approach prevailed by a fraction. Any prophet worth his salt will put the believers to the test now and again.
Rafael Benitez, after the sublime mysteries of Istanbul, has banked a lot of trust with the Liverpool support and drew heavily on it here as soon as the team selection was announced. There was a brief daze over his decisions that soon gave way to a longer amazement over their impact.
Tactics do not always entail drab studiousness in midfield and, knowing Real Betis's impressive home record, Benitez had decided to startle them with flowing, aggressive play. Few visitors come to the here in this frame of mind.
With Florent Sinama-Pongolle, a natural attacker, roving from a base in right midfield, Lorenzo Serra Ferrer's team let their jaws and their defences drop.
With 87 seconds gone, Jamie Carragher hit a long ball that the Betis centre-backs, nervous of Peter Crouch, could not clear properly. Sinama-Pongolle gathered and, with the goalkeeper Antonio Doblas off his line, floated a chip into the net.
Any disbelief that Gerrard, scorer of seven goals this season, could be consigned to the substitutes' bench was overwhelmed by appreciation of the unexpected participants. By common consent Luis Garcia and Boudewijn Zenden have, until now, done no more than get on spectators' nerves this season, but here they were at ease in the most significant fixture Liverpool have had so far.
Together they doubled the lead. Crouch rolled the ball to Zenden on the left after 14 minutes and his low cross was fired into the area for Garcia to lunge and put a first-time left-footer beyond Doblas. The euphoria of Champions League glory clings to a club, but this was the first indication Benitez can improve the general quality of Liverpool.
Unkind as it may seem in view of Jerzy Dudek's shoot-out exploits against Milan in May, the manager has reinforced the defence with a new goalkeeper. There was a flexible movement to Betis's attacks that demanded some excellent saves from Reina, though his defence had done enough to ensure attempts were made from unlikely angles.
The interval, as it so often does, turned out to be a dividing line in the action and soon Betis were back in the game. They scored before Liverpool had rediscovered any new ways of shackling them, Dani splitting the defence and Arzu slipping the ball past the advancing Reina.
Guardian Service
REAL BETIS: Doblas; Melli, Juanito (Xisco 45), Rivas, Oscar Lopez, Arzu (Capi 72), Fernando (Dani 35), Assuncao, Joaquin, Varela, Oliveira. Subs not used: Contreras, Miguel Angel, Nano, Castellini. Goal: Arzu 51.
LIVERPOOL: Reina; Josemi, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Luis Garcia, Sissoko, Alonso, Zenden (Riise 66), Sinama-Pongolle (Gerrard 74), Crouch (Cisse 58). Subs not used: Carson, Finnan, Hamann, Warnock. Booked: Carragher, Reina. Goals: Sinama Pongolle 2, Luis Garcia 14.
Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria).
