Liverpool battled to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Auxerre in the fourth round of the UEFA Cup tonight.
A goal from captain Sami Hyypia with 17 minutes to go was enough to see off a well-drilled French side who applied most of the pressure.
But when they did threaten the Liverpool goal they found much-maligned Polish goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek in excellent form.
It was Liverpool's first game in 12 days and with their hopes of domestic honours all but extinguished, they were looking to Europe for their last chance of winning silverware this year.
Liverpool's strike force, Emile Heskey and Michael Owen, both looked dangerous in the early exchanges but it was Auxerre who had the first real goal opportunity after 24 minutes.
The Liverpool defence was caught flat-footed as Senegal star Khalilou Fadiga sent Lionel Mathis clear through the middle but Jamie Carragher managed to get back in time to prevent a clear strike at goal.
But it was Liverpool who came closest to opening the score. A minute from half-time, Owen sped past the Auxerre defence and swept in a low cross which Heskey just failed to reach with the goal at his mercy.
Auxerre stepped up their performance in the second half but they seldom worried Dudek and again it was Houiller's men on the counter-attack who came closest after 55 minutes.
Heskey turned the Auxerre defence and honed in on goal, but his last touch was poor allowing Auxerre goalkeeper Fabien Cool to close him down and clear the danger.
Cool was again the saviour after 71 minutes when he tipped over a swerving Danny Murphy free-kick that was heading for the top right-hand corner of the goal.
But two minutes later he could nothing to stop Hyypia from opening the scoring.
A slick passing move involving Owen, Heskey and Murphy saw the big Finnish defender break through the centre of the Auxerre defence and he calmly rolled a left footer into the corner of the net.
Auxerre nearly got back on level terms in the next attack of the game, but Dudek produced a brilliant reflex save from a Mwaruwari snap-shot just inside the box.
The French side pressed forward in search of an equaliser, but Liverpool steadied at the back and held on to give themselves one foot in the quarter-finals of the tournament they won two years ago.