It was almost too easy. The Rafael Benitez versus Ronald Koeman battle was over the moment Steven Gerrard used Dirk Kuyt for elevation to put away his chance on goal after 27 minutes. I can just picture Rafa at half-time : “Stevie, when I said that you and Kuyt should play off each other, I didn’t mean it literally!''

The boys must have had a few laughs before coming out for a fine second-half display, and may as well have continued laughing as they witnessed a comedy of errors from Cocu and Co. At one point I thought I saw Rafa motion to the bench for popcorn and Cola, as passes never seemed to find feet and clearances were never actually cleared.

Looking back at the goals against PSV Eindhoven, it had to be the Liverpool captain to score the first goal that got the ball rolling. John Arne Riise’s second-half strike was absolutely brilliant. The position in which he found himself , the ease and finesse, combined with some sublimely-controlled power, was just vintage Riise.

Peter Crouch’s header added to a rising trend, Europe's tallest player scoring with his head, which should of course be the norm. But he rather prefers overhead kicks. Crouch probably thinks that the bicycle acrobatics looks a lot better, but the use of his natural advantage is oh, so effective !

Liverpool came away from the Philips Stadium with a 3-0 cushion for the return leg at Anfield next week. Even Koeman would admit it will be a mountain too high climb for Eindhoven, and for PSV to come back from three-goals down in front of the Kop and the rest of the screaming Anfield faithful would need a miracle of Istanbulic proportions.

There has been negative discussion regarding Liverpool's seemingly “boring” tactics and lack of eye-candy football. But last night I saw more one-touch football than at a kids' game in the park. This, while also being really pleasing to the eye, showed that Liverpool, even beyond Rafa’s "horses for courses" approach, seem to be adopting a “adapt to your surroundings” approach. Thus the Reds are becoming less predictable, leaving opposition coaches doubtful as to what sort of tactics to employ to counter them, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to define their style of play. And If you ask Benitez, I’m pretty sure he would confirm that this is indeed the precise point!

Javier Mascherano, deemed not good enough for relegation-battling West Ham, has fit into the the team like a glove. His movement off the ball and visionary passing make a him a welcome addition to Rafa’s revolutionary Reds. While Xabi Alonso has yet to perform at his best this season, with Anfield fans missing his killer through-passes, he has maintained his defensive abilities and still remains a mainstay in the line-up along with Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Steve Finnan and of course keeper Pepe Reina.

Crouch is working tirelessly to keep himself part of the starting lineup and his four goals in two games will no doubt factor in the immediate plans of Benitez. The coach has to show that players will be rewarded for good work, and thus keep each player at his best as they strive to play more consistent parts in Liverpool's upward climb to the top.

And it doesn’t seem that far away. Another season of rebuilding should see a force assembled to challenge the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, and with Arsene Wenger’s quest for new, fresh gunpowder tending to backfire on him at the business end of the season, playing for third or fourth seems to be Arsenal's only remaining target this season.

Steve Finnan said last week that he is dreaming of Athens, and that dream could very well turn into reality if Liverpool continue their rampage through the green battlefields of Europe. March on mighty Reds, the world is your amphitheatre!