Soccer/ UEFA Cup first round, first leg/ Olimpija Ljubljana 1; Liverpool 1: Michael Owen made history here last night, but that was about the only aspect of Liverpool's evening to follow the anticipated script. A tie that should have been a formality has turned into something of an ordeal.
The England striker's 21st goal in continental competition, a header guided down and beyond the valiant Borut Mavric from John-Arne Riise's centre 12 minutes from time, broke Ian Rush's club record.
More significantly, it spared the visitors' blushes. Rarely in Owen's 45 European appearances can Liverpool have been so sluggish and downright unimpressive.
If Gerard Houllier's side do recover their poise to claim a record fourth UEFA Cup next May, as unlikely as that will seem this morning, it should never be forgotten that their passage to Gothenburg began with such a listless display in Slovenia.
For the moment, the second round must remain the height of their ambitions though, with an away goal plundered, progress should be ensured at Anfield in a fortnight's time.
Yet, for 11 minutes, Liverpool flirted with humiliation. With the visitors desperately trying to rouse themselves after a lethargic first-half performance, Jalen Pokorn wriggled away from Steven Gerrard midway through the second half and fed Nedim Jusufbegovic who, allowed to maraud across the area, battered a shot beyond Jerzy Dudek and on to the far post.
Anton Zlogar, reacting where visiting defenders dawdled, thumped in the rebound to send the home crowd into a state of utter delirium.
The lead was no more than Olimpija deserved. So shoddy had Liverpool been through the first period - even on this testing surface their play was inexplicably sluggish and sloppy - that the nearest they had come to forging a lead themselves had been Mavric's sliced clearance from a Branko Ilic back-pass which spun marginally wide of a post.
Olimpija, who struggled to edge beyond Shelbourne in the qualifying round, had lost three of their original back four by the interval yet found ample time in which to reorganise and equipped themselves comfortably during the regular periods of treatment when they were outnumbered.
Houllier's original plan to rest Gerrard had been scuppered barely 14 minutes in as Danny Murphy, hampered by a dead leg, retired to the dug-out.
As soon as pace was injected into their play, Liverpool threatened. Harry Kewell buzzed to the by-line and squared for Anthony le Tallec to prod wide, the Australian's subsequent free-kick forcing Mavric to save wonderfully at full stretch.
Briefly, Olimpija threatened to punish such profligacy as Zlogar punctured the mood only for Owen to convert his only clearcut chance of the evening. Liverpool, with a record-breaker to thank, breathe again.
Houllier admitted afterwards to feeling a sense of relief at Michael Owen's record-breaking goal. "I felt relief when he scored - and also hope because when you score away from home it may be vital for the second leg.
"Their goalkeeper kept them in the game for a long time - and it's just a shame we conceded a goal.
"We could have scored more today but it was a difficult pitch and sometimes we couldn't find the final pass. And when we did find it their goalkeeper was in good form."
Houllier continued: "At this stage of the competition, against supposedly little teams, we know from experience that it will be tough. They played the match of their lives, nothing like they would normally play like, and to be honest they deserved their result."
OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA (4-3-3): Mavric; Aljancic (Pokorn, 36), Handanagic (Mirtic, 28), Lazic (Grabic, half time), Budicin; Ilic, Zlogar, Barun; Jusufbegovic, Puc, Rudonja.
LIVERPOOL (4-1-3-2): Dudek; Diao (Finnan, 69), Hyypia, Biscan, Riise; Murphy (Gerrard, 14); Smicer, Le Tallec (Welsh, 87), Kewell; Owen, Heskey. Booked: Kewell.
Referee: J Rodriguez Santiago (Spain).
Guardian Service
