Streetwise Valencia expose Liverpool's lack of nous

Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier knows his side are a long way from being genuine contenders for the Champions League after their second harsh Spanish lesson in the space of six weeks against Valencia.

The 1-0 defeat at Anfield followed their 2-0 loss in Valencia last month and left Houllier's hopes of qualifying for the second group phase on a knife edge.

Liverpool must now avoid defeat in their final match against Basel on November 12, and they may even need to win the game in Switzerland, something even Valencia failed to do.

Equally as serious a consequence of Wednesday's defeat was the mental damage inflicted by a Valencia side whose streetwise display of deft counter-attacking emphasised the gulf in class that still separates the Spanish and English leagues.

Liverpool started Wednesday's game having won seven and drawn one of their last eight games, a run that had pushed them four points clear at the top of the English premier league. They finished it with that run put firmly in perspective.

"Valencia were clever, but they are experienced," Houllier told reporters." Our side maybe lacks a bit of experience and maturity in games like that."

"But time will teach us that sort of flow and composure. I look at my team and I can see that practically half that team is at an age when they are still developing and learning."

"Some of their players have played in two Champions League finals in the last three years. They have good experience, good maturity, good composure at times."

"But that type of game will help us for the future. It's the type of game that brings a lot both to the players and to the staff."

"I always take a defeat as an opportunity to draw some kind of positive lesson for the future. There are a few things that are going to be helpful to us."

DESERVED VICTORY

Valencia have no such concerns after their first win on English soil since they beat Nottingham Forest in the 1961 European Fairs Cup.

On Wednesday's evidence Rafael Benitez's team, losing finalists in 2000 and 2001, will take some beating in this season's competition, although the coach is not getting carried away yet.

"I'm very happy with the result but as for looking that far ahead to the final, I don't like to do that," Benitez said.

"All I know is that we are in the second phase, I know that we have deserved it, our form up until now has been very positive and we deserve to be where we are."

As for the gap between the English and Spanish leagues, Benitez did not want to be unkind to his hosts.

"It's difficult to compare. You can't just talk about Liverpool and Valencia. You've got to take into account many other teams in both leagues but in general you could probably say that they are two of the best leagues in Europe."

"In general, less so than in the past, I would still say that English football is fairly direct whereas, classically Spanish football tends to be a little more build-up in the play and that is the main difference."