Liverpool came into this Uefa cup game with alot to prove, having just being dumped out the FA cup by Portsmouth and their inconsistency in the league made alot of the fans edgy and nervous leading up to this game against the Bulgarian champions.
The game started with the reds dominating the early spells of possesion, but the problem was clear to see inside Anfield, there is no creativity in the Liverpool midfield. Alot of the time Liverpool got into Levski's half and instead of creating openings were going back and back again. In my opinion someone like Jari Litmanen is clearly missed at Anfield, just to thread that killer pass through the defence, a football brain is what is needed. There is also still no width in Liverpool's play, Murphy and Kewell drifted far to into the center for me, it was nice though to see Jamie Carragher getting forward down the left. Everything is down the center which is far too easy for defences to read, this again comes to the point of lack of creativity.
As the half wore on there were little chances only a Micheal Owen header that flashed just wide was worth of any mention. Even people like Stephane Henchoz are having a go at goal now, just to please the Kop's plead of goals. As a result of the lack of chances one of the songs that rung around Anfield with growing frustration was, ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK!!! The half ended 0-0 and the crowd were less than pleased about the lack of efforts on goal.
As the second peroid began there was renewed hope inside Anfield hoping for the elusive goal, and like the first half the reds dominated possesion but unlike the first half they were craeting chances and that was the difference. Micheal Owen spurned several opertunities to break the deadlock and Didi Hamann also put a shot just wide. Anfield knew though now a goal would come, and sure enough it did and what a goal! Captain marvel Steven Gerrard left foot volleyed the ball low past the Levski keeper from the edge of the box. Gerrard then went and gave Gerard Houllier a big hug in celebration signalling that the players still love him.
But what was to happen now? In recent games Liverpool sat back after a goal and let their opponents back into the match, but this time it was different the reds kept on piling forward and were rewarded with another goal through the curling left foot shot from the right hand side of Harry Kewell, brilliance we know the Aussie can produce when he's on form. After the goal Liverpool then seemed to happy to keep the the two goals and mainly kept possesion.
But then came a moment that touched Gerard Houllier, the fans starting chanting his name in apprecation at what he had done for the club, the manager then rose to his feet and accepted the chants by waving in appreciation to the ground.
It wasn't pritty at times but the reds got the confidence boosting win over Levski and to ease the pain on Houllier's back after the week's events.