Champions League Third Qualifying Round - Standard Liege 0 Liverpool 0:  Liverpool somehow survived with their European hopes in tact after escaping with a goalless draw in their Champions League qualifier away to Standard Liege tonight.

The Belgian champions took the game to Liverpool from the start and deserved more from the third qualifying round first leg.

Liverpool had Jose Reina to thank for the draw, the Spaniard saving a first-half penalty. But Reina also looked to have got away with clawing another effort back from close to the line.

Xabi Alonso fired just wide and Steven Gerrard lifted a free-kick over the crossbar, but Liege still came forward. And it took a Yossi Benayoun clearance in front of an open goal to stop a Mbokani header that had beaten Reina.

Gerrard clearly was not on his game but his influence calmed frayed nerves. Had the England midfielder been closer to fitness, manager Rafa Benitez would surely have brought him on earlier, such was the ineptitude of the Liverpool display.

Next into the fray was young Moroccan winger Nabil El Zhar for Dirk Kuyt. And
with two minutes left El Zhar was flattened by Tomislav Mikulic, costing the
Serb a booking.

Gerrard almost provided a scarcely deserved win when he was close to firing home with a free-kick, Aragon Espinoza saving to his left.