Heskey keeps Liverpool's flame burning

Galatasaray 1 Liverpool 1

Emile Heskey's 78th-minute riposte to Radu Niculescu's goal for Galatasaray nine minutes earlier kept the Champions' League flame flickering for Liverpool in Istanbul last night. But with Roma beating Barcelona to record only the second decisive result in Group B, it was a match they needed to win.

One they should have won, too. Liverpool were the superior side, yet seemed destined for defeat when Gala's new Romanian forward struck. Heskey ensured a more just outcome, although the fact that the team under Phil Thompson's stewardship have scored only once more than Ruud van Nistelrooy in this competition proper tells its own story.

Thompson, still holding the fort for Gérard Houllier, said: "I'm proud of the way we played and the way we fought back. To play so well in an atmosphere like that was fantastic. We created so many chances but maybe we used up all our goals at Leeds and Ipswich. We should have won matches with Galatasaray. People say I'm starting to sound like Arsène Wenger and Alex Ferguson, but I'll take that as a compliment."

Galatasaray's coach, Mircea Lucescu, was not over complimentary in his comments. "We blocked all the things that they do best, like free-kicks," the Romanian said. "Liverpool have problems when they force the attack but they are very dangerous when they counter-attack."

Liverpool remain bottom of their section in the second phase and probably need to win both remaining fixtures to reach the last eight. That those games are away to Barcelona and at home to Roma highlights the scale of the task; they won neither equivalent game in the Uefa Cup last season.

For the most part, Liverpool even succeeded in defusing the fervour of Gala's notorious followers. Unfortunately, the failure to convert more than one of a catalogue of chances could cost them dear in the quarter-final analysis.

They were unfortunate, too, to come up against a goalkeeper, Faryd Mondragon, who is rated by no less an authority than Franz Beckenbauer as the world's finest. Too often, however, Liverpool made the Colombian's task easy by directing the ball straight at him after a polished build-up.

Liverpool wasted little time establishing their superiority, conjuring a flurry of first-half openings. The signs appeared ominous for Gala when Mondragon had to dash from his line to punch the ball off the head of Danny Murphy, who enjoyed an outstanding game in midfield.

Then, from consecutive corners, John Arne Riise saw Mondragon parry one header behind and watch, for once helpless, as the Norwegian's second effort flew over. The keeper also saved at point-blank range from Vladimir Smicer following Michael Owen's pass at the end of a four-man counter-attack.

Gala had put the first shot on target, Arif Erdem forcing a sprawling stop from Chris Kirkland. The 20-year-old later spilled a drive by Ergun Penbe and was thankful Jamie Carragher was on hand to clear. But, after Sami Hyypia hacked Hasan Sas' header off the line, Kirkland redeemed himself by keeping out Goktan Berkant's follow-up.

Liverpool, however, were the more cohesive unit against a team shorn of nine injured or suspended players. As we have come to expect away from Merseyside, Owen and Heskey found more space than in last week's 0-0 draw, the former underscoring the visitors' ascendancy with a trademark swerving run which culminated in a shot curled tantalisingly wide.

The pace of Liverpool's front two was a constant worry for the Turkish champions. When Murphy's pass released Owen immediately after half-time, Mondragon blocked with his legs. Heskey, in a similar position, was thwarted when Andres Fleurquin made the vital block.

Gala threatened when Gustavo Victoria's near-post cross was steered just wide by Niculescu. Yet the pattern was one of mounting Liverpool pressure, with Mondragon increasingly in the firing line. When Riise was played in on the left, the 400-strong away following again rose as one but once more the South American dealt nonchalantly with the shot.

Just when Gala looked to be digging in for a draw, they surprised themselves by scoring. Another centre by Victoria saw Niculescu steal in among the white-shirted defenders to head his first goal for the club. Within 60 seconds, Riise's centre picked out Smicer, but with the goal at his mercy he rolled the ball wide.

A defeat that would have all but eliminated Liverpool stared them in the face, but they kept swarming forward. Their reward came when Riise's long throw was laid off by Jari Litmanen, on for the unfortunate Smicer, for Heskey to crash the ball high into the net for his 11th goal of the season.

Galatasaray (4-4-2): Mondragon; Perez, Fleurquin, Bulent, Victoria; Berkant, Ayhan, Ergun, Hasan; Arif, Niculescu (Serkan, 81). Substitutes not used: Vedat, Suat, Sabri, Sedat, Gonzales, Kerem (gk).

Liverpool (4-4-2): Kirkland; Abel Xavier, Henchoz, Hyypia, Carragher; Smicer (Litmanen, 74), Hamann, Murphy, Riise; Owen, Heskey. Substitutes not used: Baros, Barmby, McAllister, Biscan, Wright, Arphexad (gk).

Referee: U Meier (Switzerland).