Liverpool 8-0 Besiktas
Liverpool shrugged aside the pressure which had dogged their preparations for Tuesday's Champions League tie with Besiktas by romping to an 8-0 demolition of the Turkish side.
Yossi Benayoun netted a hat-trick, Peter Crouch and substitute Ryan Babel both grabbed braces and there a goal for skipper Steven Gerrard as Liverpool leapfrogged their opponents into third place in Group A.
Elsewhere, Porto beat Marseille 2-1 to take over top spot in the group, Tarik Sektioui and Lisandro Lopez finding the target for the Portuguese side to deepen the French club's current crisis of confidence.
At Anfield, if Rafael Benitez's side were feeling the strain of a nation's scrutiny, it did not show as they put in a wonderful free-flowing, attacking performance to which a poor Besiktas side simply had no answer.
From the first whistle, the Anfield crowd were treated to a feast of offensive football as finally the summer's big spenders clicked as a unit and showed their American owners exactly what they are capable of.
Dirk Kuyt was left on the bench after a miserable performance at the weekend, and with record signing Fernando Torres still out injured, Crouch partnered Andriy Voronin in the latest attacking blend preferred by Benitez.
And the pair combined well as early as the 4th minute to fashion a chance, Crouch using his height well to nod down to his strike partner. But the Ukrainian was harried out of his shot by a posse of Besiktas defenders and the chance went begging.
Crouch again caused problems with his aerial presence just minutes later, heading wide of the mark from a Fabio Aurelio cross when he perhaps should have done better.
On the other flank, Alvaro Arbeloa was also a major cause for concern for the Turkish side, and he got forward at every opportunity, effectively being employed as a second right midfielder.
It was the Spaniard who burst through unchallenged after ten minutes but just as it seemed he was about to pull the trigger, Lamine Diatta, the Senegal defender, moved across to stamp out the danger.
Arbeloa then fed Benayoun at the near post three minutes later, but the Israeli fired wide before Crouch also went wide from a Voronin cross from the other flank.
Liverpool's dominance finally paid off in the 19th minute, Crouch justifying his selection with a determined finish at the second attempt following Hakan Arikan's intial save, after hesitation in the Bestiktas defence had allowed him a run through on goal.
The hosts went two up just after the half-hour mark as Benayoun netted the first of his three, taking a touch to control Voronin's far post cross before rifling into the back of the net.
Two up at the break and Liverpool looked comfortable, but nothing could have prepared Besiktas for the onslaught they were about to face in the second half.
Memories of the Turkish side's victory in Istanbul a fortnight ago rapidly vanished as the Reds ran riot.
Benayoun started the second period rout, finishing into an empty net after keeper Hakan Arikan spilled Jon Arne Riise's shot into the Israeli's path in the 53rd minute.
The midfielder then completed his hat-trick three minutes later with a carbon copy finish, this time after Arikan found Gerrard's free-kick too hot to handle.
Gerrard got in on the act on 69 minutes when he finished off a superb passing move involving Javier Mascherano and Voronin before ten minutes later Babel on as a substitute for Fabio Aurelio flicked home from close range to make it six.
Babel got his second soon after, although the Dutchman had an element of fortune to thank after Ibrahim Toraman's attempted clearance hit Babel on his back before looping over Arikan and into the back of the net.
The summer signing from Ajax could himself had a hat-trick, but his header thudded against the cross bar with six minutes remaining, but the last word went to Crouch, who headed home from Benayoun's cross as time ran out.
Besiktas striker Bobo registered the visitors' one threatening moment, bringing a save out of an otherwise redundant Jose Reine with a diving header moments before Babel hit the bar at the other end.
porto 2-1 Marseille
Goals from Tarik Sektioui and Lisandro López earned FC Porto a narrow victory against Olympique de Marseille that took the Portuguese side to the top of UEFA Champions League Group D.
Porto press on
Sektioui strode clear to give Porto a 27th-minute lead with a fine solo strike, although that advantage was wiped out by Mamadou Niang's diving header two minutes into the second period. Just as it looked as if the sides would play out another 1-1 draw following their Matchday 3 result, however, López headed in the decisive goal with 12 minutes remaining to take his team above their opponents at the summit.
Enterprising opening
Perhaps buoyed by the Lucho González penalty that rescued a point at Marseille a fortnight ago, Porto started on the front foot, and in the very first minute stand-in captain Bruno Alves flicked an unorthodox effort over the crossbar following Ricardo Quaresma's free-kick. The visitors did not take long to get into their stride either, Lorik Cana striding away from two defenders to unleash a shot that Helton beat away, before the alert Milan Stepanov cleared Mathieu Valbuena's right-wing cross with Niang ready to pounce.
Solo strike
That promising opening proved to be somewhat misleading, as both teams adopted a cautious approach with Marseille frustrating the attacking ambitions of the home team by retaining possession in midfield. However, out of nowhere the deadlock was broken in considerable style in the 27th minute, Sektioui picking up the ball just inside his own half and displaying a terrific burst of pace to glide away from three challenges before rounding the advancing Steve Mandanda and calmly rolling the ball into the unguarded net.
Marseille caught cold
The Moroccan midfielder nearly undid the visitors' defence again with another pacy burst in the 34th minute, his fine foray forward almost creating an opportunity for Marek Čech but the pass was fractionally overhit. Marseille finally managed to regroup as half-time approached and carved out a presentable opening for Niang, who could only drag his shot into the side-netting. The Senegalese forward made amends in perfect fashion two minutes into the second half, however, diving in front of Stepanov to head Laurent Bonnart's right-wing cross past Helton.
Porto pressure
Porto swiftly replied, a Raul Meireles cross just evading López, although Cana might have put Marseille in front, heading Samir Nasri's free-kick narrowly wide. That escape prompted Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira to replace midfielder Čech with a forward, Hélder Postiga, although it was a player who was already on the pitch who came closest to restoring the home side's lead, López heading Quaresma's cross against the top of the crossbar from close range with 19 minutes left.
López delight
It mattered not as the home side regained the lead on 78 minutes, López providing the perfect finish to Quaresma's pinpoint cross. The home team almost added gloss to their win in the final ten minutes, Postiga and Fucile both going close from range, but Porto had already done enough.
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