Uefa Champions League: Liverpool 2 PSV Eindhoven 0 Liverpool have earned their breathing space. Group C was won here after an evening of huff and puff, and no little frustration, eventually eroded PSV Eindhoven's resistance and squeezed the hosts into an impregnable position at the top of this section. Given their toils in the Premiership, the Champions League continues to prove a welcome distraction for Rafael Benitez and his team.

This was an occasion to try the patience, with the Dutch coiled in defence and only springing once they were behind, after Steven Gerrard offered a flash of quality just after the hour mark to pierce their stubborn rearguard.

The captain's goal was deserved primarily for the weight of pressure exerted by the hosts and not for much quality, which drained in the mishmash. Yet, as an exercise in patience, this was productive.

Lesser sides might have lost heart as the match ground its way into the second half, and Benitez will have been encouraged that an advantage was eventually chiselled out and then, in the ensuing frenzy whipped up by PSV, his defence remained calm.

That has not always been the case this season, yet Diego Tardelli's shot, well blocked by Jose Reina, remained Eindhoven's most threatening moment and by then the contest had been settled.

A minute from time, Luis Garcia flung over a cross from the left, Dirk Kuyt nodded back across goal and Peter Crouch touched in from point-blank range. The relief was palpable.

Benitez had approached this contest with self-proclaimed "calmness", with nothing more than the psychological advantage of finishing top of the group being at stake. But by the interval, the Liverpool manager was counting the cost of a disjointed occasion. Xabi Alonso had not even seen out the opening quarter, injured by a sliding challenge from Csaba Feher having been sold short by an under-hit Mark Gonzalez pass. The Spaniard hobbled from the field with a damaged hip.

Fifteen minutes later, however, the Chilean was considerably less fortunate.

Gonzalez had briefly revelled at a continental pace here, nodding a cross from the slippery Jermaine Pennant down and wide, though his display was curtailed abruptly after its most promising opening.

Fed down the left, the 22-year-old skimmed a fine centre which was touched behind desperately by Alex, only for the winger to rip his hamstring as he fell awkwardly.

The hosts warranted an advantage by then, even if their flurry of misplaced passes and over-hit crosses had Benitez constantly bobbing from the bench in frustration. What chances they had created had been eked out against timid opponents, though none of the opportunities was clear-cut.

The best fell to Crouch, who twice failed to connect with crosses flung over by Gerrard as Manuel Da Costa heaved to contain the home forward. When Crouch did make contact, he first scuffed wide; then he could only loop a header beyond Heurelho Gomes' far post with the goalkeeper, back arched and eyes to the heavens, gratefully watching the effort on its way.

PSV arrived on Merseyside having won their previous nine matches in all competitions, though they created little to suggest they were intent on prolonging that sequence. The peroxide blonde Arouna Kone was denied by a fine interception from Steve Finnan when he threatened to slalom within range of an attempt on goal, and Carlos Salcido forced Jose Reina to touch over his 40-yard volley, but the Dutch patiently sat deep and cluttered midfield as if the height of their ambition was to suffocate their hosts' busy intent.

Edison Mendez and the PSV captain Timmy Simons had snapped into challenges effectively, with Feher and Ibrahim Afellay retreating readily in support to crowd out Gerrard's leggy energy.

Boudewijn Zenden, at the Englishman's side, had resorted to fizzing from distance by the time murmurs of exasperation first rippled from the Kop.

Yet the Dutch side could not maintain their discipline. Finnan's pass infield was collected by Kuyt, who spun neatly away from Alex to slip Gerrard into rare space beyond the flustered Simons and the visitors' rearguard was pierced. The midfielder bore down on Gomes and rammed his second club goal of the season into the gaping net. It was the first time PSV had conceded in 714 minutes and forced the Dutch from their shells.

LIVERPOOL: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Pennant (Bellamy 78), Gerrard, Alonso (Zenden 21), Gonzalez (Luis Garcia 36), Crouch, Kuyt. Subs not used: Dudek, Hyypia, Fowler, Paletta.

PSV EINDHOVEN: Gomes, Kromkamp, Da Costa, Alex, Salcido, Mendez (Beerens 81), Simons, Feher (Tardelli 68), Afellay, Farfan, Kone. Subs not used: Moens, Reiziger, Cocu, Addo, Lamey.

Referee: Domenico Messina (Italy).