LIVERPOOL // Debrecen coach Andras Herczeg suggested Rafa Benitez's Liverpool side were scared of throwing away a victory at the end of their match at Anfield as the Hungarian champions almost made fools of five-times winners Liverpool in the Champions League. Liverpool eventually won the Group E match 1-0, with Dirk Kuyt grabbing his 12th Champions League goal for the club, against the competition's new boys.
But in the final stages, Debrecen were close to embarrassing Liverpool. Herczeg said: "It says everything that in those final minutes I sent on an extra striker, and Rafael Benitez sent on a world-class midfielder, Javier Mascherano, to make sure that they did not throw away a victory." Manager Benitez brushed aside criticism of Liverpool's unconvincing victory insisting: "We won, so I'm happy. We made a lot of chances and just did not take them.
"So because of that we ended up under pressure at the end of the match when we should have been winning comfortably. "But Debrecen can take credit for their display, this may be their first game at this level but they have dominated in Hungary for several years and you could see why. "They were well organised and worked very hard. What we had to do was score the second goal, and then it would have been easier. But we could not manage to do that."
It was Liverpool's third win on the trot after a worrying start to the season, which saw them lose to Tottenham and Aston Villa in their first three league matches. Benitez added: "We are confident now, we are winning games in a row and we have started the Champions League with three points. But hopefully we will be much better next time." * PA Sport
