Reds held to 1-1 draw at Anfield

An inspiring pre-match mosaic on the Kop, an electric atmosphere inside Anfield and another Milan Baros goal couldn't provide Liverpool with the win they so desperately wanted in tonight's UEFA Cup fourth round first-leg tie. It wasn't a classic performance from Les Rouges but it certainly wasn't a bad European night at Anfield.

Liverpool's 1-1 draw tonight - after a six-yard tap-in from the energetic Baros after 55 minutes of a freezing cold Merseyside night was later cancelled out by an equally close-range effort from Drogba - still sets Liverpool up nicely for the return tie in France in two weeks time. The Reds determination to keep a clean sheet might have stifled the game slightly at times but at least they can head to the intimidating Stade Velodrome knowing they're more than capable of pulling out a result that could see them through to the next round where either Inter Milan or Benfica will prove equally tough opponents.

Gerard Houllier insisted before the game to read nothing into Marseille's 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Bastia last weekend and he wasn't wrong. The team that we saw tonight looked anything but a pushover. With no disrespect to last week's opponents Levski Sofia, this lot tonight were a completely different proposition. Having entered the tournament after dropping out of a Champions League group containing Real Madrid, the French side represented a real step up in class as the minnows of the UEFA Cup are gradually weeded out.

After the mosaic - intended to send out a message from the fans that the players and staff at the club retain the full support of the fans - the game began at a frantic pace. Amid an electric Anfield atmosphere, Marlet and Drogba looked lively in attack for the French visitors and ensured that Liverpool didn't have it all their own way.

In the Marseille goal, Fabien Barthez - on loan from Manchester United - was booed relentlessly every time he touched the ball, although it wasn't until the 23rd minutethat he was required to make a save of note, diving low to his right to deny Owen.

At the opposite end, Chris Kirkland had to be on his toes throughout the opening half but recovered well from a nasty-looking early collision with Drogba and looked confident when called upon.

With conditions well below freezing, there was little meaningful goalmouth action to warm the near capacity crowd in the first half and it came as no surprise that the teams went in at the interval goalless.

Liverpool, as they tend to do in European competition these days, only really hit their stride after the break and might have opened the scoring after 53 minutes when Dietmar Hamann headed onto the roof of the net from a dangerous cross. Two minutes later and the Reds were ahead though. With snow starting to fall, Steven Gerrard stormed into the box only to collide with Barthez before the ball broke loose to Baros to slot home. The goal, coming after increased second-half pressure, was no more than Liverpool deserved.

Fourteen minutes later and the Reds came close to doubling their lead as Hamann drilled a low shot just wide with Barthez scrambling across the face of his goal.

Marseille refused to give up though and Marlet and Drogba were a constant threat even with the Reds pushing forward more and more. In the end, the pressure paid off when Drogba - Marseille's leading scorer in Europe this season - slammed the ball home from close range after some confussion between Kirkland and his defence.

It was a devastating blow for Gerard Houllier's team who had just started to look like they might kill off the game.

Marseille continued to press forward and Kirkland had to be at his best to hold onto the draw as first Heskey and then Biscan were drafted into action. Then, with 90 minutes on the clock, Liverpool looked to have nicked it only for a Gerrard free-kick to be cleared off the line. Barthez then made a fantastic save from Baros with the clock ticking down.

In the end a draw was how it finished though. Neither team will be too disappointed. Let the battle commence again in two weeks time.