Draw takes Reds through to the next round

Sports - Football - Europa League - St. Bucharest 1-1 Liverpool

Job done as far as Liverpool are concerned.

Apart from Pepe Reina's blunder which gave the home side the equalizer - the ball embarrasingly squirming under the goalkeeper and over the line off Eder Bonfirm's speculative header (61) - the Reds did not have much to worry about.

It was not as confident and comfortable as their 4-1 home win against Steaua, the Romanian side pushing more, dominating in possession and chances this time round, but not getting much out of it, not creating much of a threat against Liverpool.

Milan Jovanovic put the visitors ahead in Bucharest on 19, heading the ball into the bottom corner from Ryan Babel's cross.

It was all just procedure from there, Reds boss Roy Hodgson can be happy with his B-team making it through, having eight regular first-teamers either missing through injury or being rested.

He will be glad his gamble payed off as Liverpool qualify for the knock-out stage of the Europa League.

St. Bucharest: Tatarusanu; Gardos, Latovlevici (Szekely 80), Geraldo, Eder (scored 61, booked 81); Tanase, Nicolita (booked 63), Gomes, Bicfalvi (Angelov 46); Surdu (booked 20), Stancu.
Subs not used: Lungu, Emeghara, Abrudan, Martinovic, Matei.

Liverpool: Reina; Aurelio, Kyrgiakos, Wilson, Kelly; Cole (Ngog 75), Poulsen, Shelvey, Pacheco (Lucas 89); Jovanovic (Eccleston 78), Babel.
Subs not used: Jones, Skrtel, Flanagan, Ronbinson.

BBC stats:
St. Bucharest-Liverpool
Attempts: 10-3
On target: 3-1
Corners: 10-4
Free kicks: 7-7
Possession: 60%-40%

Sky Sports stats:
St. Bucharest-Liverpool
Attempts: 16-5
On target: 4-1
Offsides: 2-5
Corners: 10-4
Free kicks: 9-8
Possession: 64.6%-35.4%
Passing Success: 85.2%-75.2%
Tackles/Success: 16/87.5%-15/80%
Territorial Advantage: 52.9%-47.1%

Referee: Bulant Yildrim
Man of the match: Sotirios Kyrgiakos