Stout Liverpool defending and one woodwork scare combined with limited Borussia Dortmund sparkle to produce a 0-0 stalemate in a Champions League group B match tonight.
Tomas Rosicky's long-range drive against the woodwork in the 69th minute was the high point in an otherwise defensive but error-ridden game on a pitch made slippery after incessant rain.
Liverpool's last visit to Borussia's Westfalen stadium four months ago had been a thriller, a 5-4 golden goal win in the UEFA Cup final. This was very different.
Talk of two exciting strike partnerships and possibly frail defences proved largely groundless as fear of defeat dimmed the spectacle.