Team news

Mascherano returns for Reds Liverpool will have Javier Mascherano back in their squad for the Champions League group E clash with Debrecen at Anfield.

Mascherano missed Saturday's 4-0 win over Burnley after picking up a pelvic injury while on World Cup duty with Argentina, and he did not return from South America until Sunday following tests on the problem.

But the midfielder has been declared fit and is expected to figure in a side that, says manager Rafael Benitez, does not have any other injury problems, apart from long-term absentees Daniel Agger and Alberto Aquilani.

Meanwhile, Brazilian midfielder Lucas believes he is winning over Liverpool fans after being given a tough time by sections of the crowd last season.

The 22-year-old's form dipped during the Reds' prolonged spell of poor home form which eventually cost them the title.

Lucas has burst back onto the scene this season however as a stronger and more determined player who has even handled the tough job of stepping into Xabi Alonso's shoes.

He has been ever-present this term and is expected to anchor midfield again when Liverpool open their campaign against the Hungarian champions.

Lucas said: "Nobody likes to be criticised, but such things happen in football. In many ways it has been a good experience for me because I am strong physically and mentally now.

"I can play with more relaxation and patience. I can be calmer because I know the fans are supporting me more.

"If (manager) Rafa (Benitez) had wanted me to leave, he would have said so. But he always said he had confidence in my football and I was improving.

"I am now a better player than when I arrived. I did some physical work in the summer to put on some kilos to help me play in the Premier League, and that has helped me a lot." He added: "I am trying to improve all the time, I am feeling more confident and I will be able to maintain this level." Lucas has played his part in keeping the Liverpool midfield ticking over in the absence of Alonso, who completed a big-money move to Real Madrid over the summer, but the Brazilian who moved to Merseyside from Gremio in July 2007 insists he offers something different from the Spain midfielder tactically.

"I am not the same player as Xabi Alonso, although everyone keeps comparing," he added.

"Now we have another style of football, and I am being asked to go forward more than Xabi did.

"Xabi has gone, he was a good player for Liverpool, but now we have to work with the squad we have here.

"This is my third season here, and I am playing more games. This is the first time I have played five games in a row and I believe I am playing well and this gives me more confidence.

Liverpool vs Debrecen

Last modified 16:37 29/09/09

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There were milestones aplenty for Liverpool and their manager Rafa Benitez last night...but barely a memorable moment in this turgid tie.

The Anfield boss celebrated an impressive milestone of 300 games in charge of the club and a record 72 European ties with a comfortable enough victory over obscure Hungarian opponents Debrecen, to get his Champions' League campaign off to a familiar start.

It also happened to be the Reds' 100th win in this competition, but it will rank at that bottom end of that scale, given that the English club often struggled to find the coherence that has been their trademark in Europe under the Spanish coach.

Even so, Dirk Kuyt gave them victory as he displayed a fine instinct as understudy to his skipper Steven Gerrard in the free role behind centre forward Fernando Torres - a clever impressionist if not quite a Dutch Master on the night.

In truth, Liverpool could have scored several more, with Gerrard in particular coming agonisingly close as his fierce volley screamed just over the cross bar, when an inch lower it would have been a contender, already, for the goal of the season.

Yossi Benayoun, too, came close when he continued his impressive form from the weekend with a jinking run and shot that almost crept in at the near post, and then another that floated over the bar after good work from substitute Ryan Babel.

But all those chances came after the break, with Liverpool struggling initially against supposedly lesser opponents, until Kuyt showed that he retains his striker's predatory skills when, with the last kick of the first half, he pounced on a Torres rebound to give his side the perfect start in Group E.

Benitez will hardly be troubled, because he knows his team are slow starters in this competition, and actually prefers them to hit their stride in later rounds.

He knows too, that against opponents of who little was known, his team were on a hiding to nothing, given the expectation that they should trounce teams from nations without a Champions' League pedigree.

The bare facts, and therefore the expectation, was misleading though. Debrecen were rather comfortably dealt with by Manchester United in Europe four years ago. but have done rather better since then winning their national league three times and reaching the group stage for the first time in their history, to suggest they are now no mugs.

That was evident throughout a surprisingly tense - and close - contest, with the expectation inducing a tension within the home side that made them unusually deliberate, and even nervous during what was a terse, tedious opening period.

When Martin Skrtel made a rare error to gift the ball to the impressive Hungarian winger Peter Czvitkovics on the half hour, it seemed Liverpool it might be worse than merely boring for Liverpool.

Keeper Pepe Reina had other ideas though, and he somehow arching an impossible distance to pull off a quite outstanding one-handed save to deny the visitors their moment of glory.

These group stages are becoming increasingly meaningless given the opportunity for the top clubs over such a long run of games to redeem any early mistakes, and that notion seemed to be transmitted into Liverpool's early play.

But that scare at least roused them from a first half slumber, and they should have reached the break with the lead their manager demanded, when Jamie Carragher produced a fine through ball his mate Steven Gerrard would have been proud of, to send Albert Riera away.

The winger though seems a little low in confidence just now and his shot lacked conviction, allowing Poleksic to save. Even then, the energetic Dirk Kuyt steered the rebound goalwards, but the wonderfully named Norbert Meszaros cleared off the line.

Even a subdued Liverpool are always deadly opponents though, when they have Gerrard and Fernando Torres in their line up, and the pair restored normal order at a vital time just before the break.

First the skipper shot inches wide with a brilliant first time shot from Riera's cross, and then Torres finally carved open the Debrecen defence as, a minute into first half stoppage time, he took a Yossi Benayoun ball in his stride and with one shake of the hips shot on target.

Poleksic got a hand to it, but Kuyt again showed his great appetite with another instinctive follow-up, to open the scoring and relieve the tension on the Kop.

The win is all that counts, even in matches that record a little bit of history, but Benitez will know that his side will eventually be required to shift out of second gear to make significant progress in this competition.