[Darren]

PSV EINDHOVEN 0 - 3 LIVERPOOL Tuesday 03 April 2007 19:45 , Champions League Quarter Final (1)

REDS CRUISE TO Q-FINAL FIRST LEG SUCCESS Liverpool have one foot in the semi-final of the Champions League following an impressive 3-0 victory against PSV in the Philips Stadium on Tuesday night. Goals from Steven Gerrard, John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch fired the Reds to a comfortable quarter-final first leg success that leaves them odd on favourites to secure their place in the last four. And on what was another memorable night of European football, Gerrard rewrote the history books - his goal taking him beyond legendary Anfield striker Ian Rush as the club's all-time top marksman in the European Cup. The skipper broke the deadlock in the 27th minute, heading home from a Steve Finnan centre to register his 15th goal in the competition, and from that point the outcome never seemed in doubt. Any faint hope the lacklustre Dutch side may have had of forcing their way back into the game evaporated shortly after the break when Riise increased the lead with a trademark thunderbolt finish from 30-yards out. Crouch then sealed the emphatic win when he towered above the home defence to head Finnan's cross into the top corner of the net. The only downside to the evening was an Achilles injury sustained by Fabio Aurelio midway through the second half; the Brazilian pulling up when unopposed in the opposition half and stretchered off. But even that couldn't dampen the mood of the jubilant travelling Liverpudlians who headed for home with their dreams of another European Cup triumph in May firmly intact.