Even optimistic Liverpool fans have feared the worst when Rafa Benitez revealed his lineup before this match. With Jamie Carragher filling in Glen Johnson at right-back injured, the ineffectual Andriy Voronin up front next to a sick, Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and not to boost the midfield, the victory of the Reds are desperately needed to maintain their dream of Champions League life seemed unlikely.
But Liverpool, playing in all white, did not surrender. They dominated much of the game, and when Ryan Babel scored with a blistering strike from 30 yards in 83 minutes, it seemed that Rafa had designed another great escape. But it did not. Lisandro broke the heart of Liverpool with a poacher's goal in the 89th minute, and now the Reds' Champions League chances hang the thinnest of threads - even if they win their two remaining games, there is no guarantee of progress in this competition. The European League hopes.
Lyon had much the better of the first skirmishes, and test again four visitors - especially linemen - with quick passing and movement animation. After only three minutes, Brazilian winger Michel Bastos tested Jose Reina with a shot of drag of 20 yards from goal, but Liverpool goalkeeper showed good hands.
But after a nervous first ten minutes, Liverpool was established. Torres had a gilt-edged opportunity to open the scoring after 11 minutes but fired straight at goalkeeper Olympique Hugo Lloris, after collecting a cross from Emiliano Insua in the heart of the area. It was Liverpool's first decent attack - a fully fit Torres would have buried the chance.
Five minutes later, again always Insua Liverpool width, partly due to the growing influence of Yossi Benayoun in the hole behind two strikers. The little Argentine who was a cross into the Lyon box from the left flank, but when the ball fell to Dirk Kuyt in the area, the Dutchman fired Dinka easily overturned by Lloris. Kuyt flick-on from the back corner came to nothing.
With nearly half an hour, and Liverpool, improving all the time, Voronin latched onto a long ball into the top of Ukraine forward, but could not run the one-on-one chance, firing straight at Lloris, who saved well with his feet. In the 33rd minute, Daniel Agger picked up the first booking of the night for a cynical - but necessary - foul on Bafetimbi Gomis, then Lisandro Lopez saw yellow for less than a minute after a challenge on Kuyt identical.
