Liverpool 8 Besiktas 0. No, it's not a Rugby match scoreline, but you might be led to think so. Liverpool now hold the record for the most goals scored in the Champions League.

Their rocky European campaign has been kick-started in awesome style. Supporters have been mulling over the lack of goals, and last night saw the players finally reward their weary fans with the thrashing of Besiktas. The strange thing is that the scoreline could have been more, and I say this without any hint of exaggeration.

The moment of truth for most fans came when Peter Crouch was announced in the starting line-up. The lanky striker had experienced an uncertain few months from the time of the Champions League final in May. But he weathered the storm and inspired his team-mates with his early strike, and when Yossi Benayoun made it 2-0  Besiktas seemed to have been dealt the killer blow. Credit to Rafa Benitez's side. They never let up, and after half time they continued to push forward, being rewarded handsomely for their efforts.

'The strange thing is that the scoreline could have been more, and I say this without any hint of exaggeration'


Benayoun went on to complete a hat-trick and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He seems to offer so much more than Jermaine Pennant, as he can score goals as well put in a fair amount of crosses. He certainly may have convinced Rafa that he should be starting more often, and at the very least on Saturday against Fulham.

Steven Gerrard was full of emotion, knowing full well the importance of the night. He even switched to his old “good luck” boots for this encounter, probably the pair that he scored the Olympiakos super goal with. And he got his name on the score-sheet, albeit a deflected strike, but when Gerrard forges forward with such purpose, the outcome is already written in stone.

Ryan Babel came on to score a weirdly wonderful brace, one a delightful back heel that had the Kop screaming for more. And he duly delivered, this time an attempted defensive clearance finding the back of Babel and sailing in just under the crossbar. Looks like he is backto his goal scoring best. And Crouch sealed an emphatic victory with a clinical header off a Benayoun cross.

A wonderful night for Reds supporters worldwide, and a new leaf has been turned. This is the football we want to see being played. Now it all sits in Rafa’s notepad. Whether he will field an unchanged side against Fulham remains to be seen. With Fernando Torres approaching full fitness, Benitez will have to decide, but a full-fit Torres should start alongside Crouch.

Liverpool’s 8-rageous display might be the new Champions League record but is only joint fourth on their list of biggest European wins. Their top five are:

Liverpool 11 Stromgodset 0 - European Cup Winners' Cup, September 17, 1974
Liverpool 10 Dundalk 0 - European Fairs Cup, September 16, 1969.
Liverpool 10 Oulu Palloseura 1 - European Cup, October 1, 1980.
Liverpool 8 TSV Munich 0 - European Fairs Cup, November 7, 1967.
Liverpool 8 Besiktas 0 - Champions League, November 6, 2007.

Manchester United managed seven against Roma last season, though they did concede one. Let's see them beat this record!

As far as Liverpool on a whole, as my Teenage brother says : You eight seen nothing yet.

Well, 3 Points is all that matters, and the focus shifts back to the Premiership now as Fulham await on Saturday…

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