Liverpool 5-0 Spartak Moscow
Two goals from Emile Heskey and one each from Cheyrou, Hyypia and Diao saw Liverpool wrap up their biggest home win in Europe for more than 10 years.
After missing the game against Man City, Stephane Henchoz returned to the side, and Milan Baros made way for Bruno Cheyrou, with Heskey playing alongside Owen up front.
And it was Heskey who got the scoring underway on the 6th minute when he raced forward to get on the end of a long pass by Riise and despite not getting the cleanest of contacts on the ball, Heskey still managed to put it into the near post with Cherchesov wrong footed.
Soon after the opening goal, and it was 2-0. Heskey won the ball just outside the 18 yard box and after Murphy had held up the ball until Cheyrou arrived, he played a short pass to Cheyrou at the edge of the area, and Cheyrou got in front of the Spartak defence before firing into the net from close range.
Owen could have made it 3-0 after only 20 minutes when he raced into the Spartak half and after beating a recovering Spartak defender and lifting the ball over and around the 'keeper, Owen was unlucky to see his shot come back off the post.
Hyypia did make it three before the break though, leaping well above any of the challenging defenders to head home from Murphy's free kick.
Liverpool started the second half where they left the first, and within minutes of the restart they were close to extending their lead.
After a long spell of passing the ball around the pitch, patiently waiting for the right moment to play the ball forward, which was similar to the football played by Barcelona at Anfield in last season's competition, Heskey was brought down half a yard outside the 18 yard box after a brilliant turn looked like it had sent him clear though on goal but he was tripped by Kovtun, who was booked. Cheyrou curled the resulting free kick just around the post.
Cherchesov was not given even s short rest in the Spartak goal though, and he was forced into making a double save when he first kept our a Didi Hamann free kick and then saved the rebound from Owen, and within minutes he was called into action again, saving from a Heskey header from 6 yards out after a fine chipped cross by Owen.
An almost exact replica of that chance was carved out on 70 minutes though, and with Diao on the end of a Heskey cross, the Senegal midfielder made no mistake, putting his header into the bottom corner and giving the Russian 'keeper no chance.
Emile Heskey had the first say in the scoring, and after a tremendous performance, it was fitting that he would get the final goal of the night as well.
Hyypia, on the edge of the Spartak penalty area on the left side of the pitch, played a short pass to Owen and after looking for a possible route to goal himself, Owen found Heskey in a better position on the opposite side of the penalty area, and Heskey took one touch before firing low across the keeper to make it 5-0.
A possible chance of a hat-trick was cruelly denied in the final minute, when Heskey was hauled down in the penalty area when attempting to round the 'keeper, but the referee from Luxembourg unbelievably saw nothing wrong with the challenge and the score remained at 5-0.
It was Liverpool's biggest home win in Europe for just over 10 years, and moves them into second place in Group B.
The next Champions League fixture for the Reds is in three weeks, also against Spartak Moscow, but this time away from home.
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