LIVERPOOL 0, VALENCIA 1: Humiliated at the Mestalla and now humbled just as emphatically on Merseyside, Liverpool's Champions League prospects teeter precariously on the brink this morning.
Valencia, irresistible up front and impregnable at the back, may have scored only once en route to victory but, for the second time in six weeks, their brilliance eclipsed the Premiership leaders with something to spare last night.
Depending upon how Basel fair in Moscow next week, Gerard Houllier's side - demoralised and defeated - may have to face the prospect of having to win in Switzerland in a fortnight to make progress.
Houllier had been at pains to dismiss talk of revenge after last month's 2-0 humbling by these opponents in Spain, but raw adrenalin-fuelled intent was never likely to unsettle the regal Spanish champions.
The home partisans bellowed from the opening whistle, demanding a whirlwind of a start from their side to knock the visitors off their perch, but Valencia had expected as much and simply strutted unflustered in the Anfield din.
At times their football was so slick - all elusive sprints and clever flicks with passes pinged and home defenders all a dither - it took the breath away. By the interval it had brought them a narrow advantage, but Liverpool, red-faced and gasping for breath, could count themselves fortunate their deficit was so slim.
The diminutive genius Pablo Aimar, tormentor in chief in the first game, dictated the awesome speed of the passing, flitting unnervingly between Dietmar Hamann and the Liverpool rearguard, who could only marvel at his close control and speed of thought.
When Kily Gonzalez's corner was nodded down by John Carew to the 22-year-old Argentinian, loitering on the edge of the six-yard box, Aimar chose not to spin and shoot but instead deftly laid off to Ruben Baraja.
Perhaps surprised by the preceding pinball, the midfielder lifted his head and spooned his attempt miserably over the bar.
That was not typical of Baraja's performance. His powerhouse presence alongside David Albelda in the centre asphyxiated Liverpool's customary verve - the outstanding Salif Diao aside - and freed Aimar to run riot.
Too often for Houllier's liking the Spanish central midfielders disrupted home rhythm and supplied Gonzalez and the livewire Rufete down the right; Djimi Traore's desperate lunge cut out one centre, then Gonzalez's cross from the left eluded Jerzy Dudek and bounced down off the crossbar.
Liverpool's luck did not last. Curro Torres, a full back ever eager to join the fun, found Carew. The Norwegian striker laid the ball off for Rufete, whose shot from the edge of the area deflected off Sami Hyypia and scuttled beyond the despairing Dudek and into the bottom corner.
The Pole was distraught, but he effectively kept his side in the contest moments later, stretching to touch behind Carew's shot aimed at the far corner after Curro Torres, Aimar and Rufete had left their beleaguered opponents dizzy with a jaw-dropping passing sequence.
Faced by such an onslaught, Liverpool were unnerved, only stirring when Emile Heskey's muscular presence unsettled Carlos Marchena or when Michael Owen found rare space in which to turn and sprint at Mauricio Pellegrino.
Amedeo Carbon's last-ditch tackle denied the England striker on one occasion as he wriggled on to Hyypia's flick-on; when Diao supplied Owen a second time, he cut inside Curro Torres but curled his shot over the bar.
That miss had the Kop howling in despair, and their frustration was exacerbated by the sight of a strangely subdued Steven Gerrard bounding on to Owen's pass only to scuff his shot straight at Santiago Canizares with the goal gaping.
At least that attempt suggested that the visitors' defence was not as sure-footed as their midfield, though the peroxide blonde goalkeeper was proving pesky.
When Heskey charged to the by-line and pulled back a cross after the restart, Owen - nine yards out but with too much time to think - side-footed into Canizares's midrift.
The urgency was now all Scouse. Gerrard's corner was flicked on by Heskey at the near post but the loose ball was palmed up by the goalkeeper and Hamann's header smothered in the muddle on the line.
On came Vladimir Smicer, Milan Baros, and a Bruno Cheyrou to add poise and punch, but Valencia had long since switched into miserly mode.
In winning La Liga last season they conceded only 27 goals; faced by frenzied pressure, they merely sat back and hit Liverpool on the break with Baraja driving wide and Miguel Angulo forcing Dudek, a defiant figure, to tip over.
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Riise, Traore, Hyypia, Carragher (Cheyrou 81), Murphy (Smicer 60), Hamann, Diao, Gerrard, Heskey (Baros 61), Owen. Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Babbel, Diouf, Biscan.
VALENCIA: Canizares, Curro Torres, Marchena, Pellegrino, Carboni, Rufete, Albelda, Baraja, Gonzalez (Vicente 87), Aimar (Angulo 68), Carew (Mista 79). Subs Not Used: Palop, Aurelio, Djukic, Sanchez. Booked: Albelda, Mista. Goals: Rufete 34.
Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway).
REMAINING FIXTURES: Nov 6th - Spartak Moscow v Basel; Nov 12th - Basel v Liverpool; Valencia v Spartak Moscow.
