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Liverpool gets foot in the door of group stages

Defending European champion Liverpool had one foot in the lucrative group stages on Wednesday with a 3-1 win at CSKA Sofia in the first leg of the third and final round of Champions League qualifying.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez named a strong lineup, including captain Steven Gerrard, who set up all three goals for Liverpool.

The match was marred by sections of the crowd making monkey noises at Liverpool goalscorer Djibril Cisse.

Gerrard set up the first goal in the 25th minute for Cisse. Five minutes later, he delivered the free kick that Fernando Morientes headed home.

CSKA Sofia scored a minute before halftime, with Velizar Dimitrov heading in a left-wing cross from Mourad Hidiouad.

Morientes added Liverpool's third in the 58th minute, when he got a cross from Gerrard at the far post to score easily past CSKA Sofia goalkeeper Evghenii Hmaruc.

Eleven minutes later, Gerrard was replaced by Mohamed Sissoko, ending his European scoring run.

Gerrard had scored seven goals in Liverpool's four Champions League qualifying games this season; including a hat trick against Welsh club TNS. He also scored in the Champions League final last season which earned Liverpool its fifth European title.

"We're happy with the scoreline," Gerrard said. "We'd be a lot more happier with the clean sheet but to come away 3-1 makes the job a lot easier when we go back to Anfield."

He came off as a precaution after being slightly injured during a goal celebration.

"It was an usual one," Gerrard said. "When we were celebrating Morientes' second one, as he lifted me up he nearly pulled my back out of place but it's fine."

Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina kept his team's two-goal advantage in injury time when he produced a strong save to deny Evgeni Yordanov.
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