Liverpool beat Lille as confidence slowly returns

Liverpool 3 Lille 0 (3-1 on aggregate). It's a bit late in the day, but Liverpool finally seem to be turning their season around. Victory against Lille reversed a 1-0 deficit from the first leg and ensured their safe passage to the Europa League quarter finals. Strikes from Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, who bagged a brace, made it seven goals in four days for the Reds as they prepare for their grudge match with Manchester United on Sunday.

But it wasn't all old time swagger at Anfield, there was plenty of nervousness on and off the pitch. Enough to suggest that the corner has not quite been turned yet. And it was not until Fernando Torres, the subject of growing transfer speculation, scored his second goal of the night to leave Lille needing two goals that victory was assured.

By going public with his criticism of the team last week the manager Rafa Benitez seems to have illicited a response from the players - although Albert Riera's petulant reaction was not the one he was looking for, and the Spanish winger was absent last night as he has been suspended until next week for biting back at Benitez.

The night started well for Liverpool and they squared the tie after just eight minutes. Lucas Leiva, playing alongside Javier Mascherano in midfield, made an uncharacteristic run forward and was tripped in the box. That earned the home side a penalty, which was calmly converted by Gerrard.

The goal buoyed the crowd and although Anfield was hardly rocking it was a million miles away from the funereal atmosphere that enveloped the stadium during long periods of the game against Portsmouth on Monday.

Having taken the lead Liverpool immediately relaxed and began knocking the ball around with something approaching elan. However, the second goal would not come and Lille gradually found their feet.

The visitors almost equalised as the half wore on when a well worked move suddenly put teenage prodigy Eden Hazard clear through the centre of the Liverpool defence. He bore down on goal and unleashed a shot, but it caught Pepe Reina in the face and flew wide. The chance went begging but it served to illustrate how fragile Liverpool's position was - a Lille goal would leave them needing to score two more.

Early in the second half Torres doubled Liverpool's advantage when he latched onto a long ball from Ryan Babel that somehow evaded the Lille defence and slotted home. Although it put Liverpool in the lead on aggregate it didn't change the picture much for Lille, who still needed just one goal to go through.

As the half wore on the nerves set in both on the pitch and in the crowd as Liverpool struggled to make the game safe and looked increasingly fearful at the back.

However, the tie was finally settled in the final minutes when keeper Mickael Landreau saved Gerrard's shot but Torres was on hand to fire home the rebound. ·