Liverpool's bungling leaves Rafa on the rack - now only victory in Marseille will save him

Just a few miles from the arena where they pulled off an historic comeback to land the 2005 title against the odds, Liverpool took a mighty blow that threatened to send them stumbling from this year's trophy.

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Besiktas had never beaten English opposition, but the first-half goal that luckless centre-half Sami Hyypia deflected past Jose Reina sent the Eagles soaring in their celebrating Inonu Stadium.

Bobo made it two for the Turks with the seconds ticking away, and although Steven Gerrard pulled one back soon after, Liverpool's fate had been sealed.

Benitez's now-famous interval orders as they trailed Milan 3-0 — 'Give yourselves the chance to be heroes' — must have been dredged from some memories as Liverpool battled to save themselves.

But the former Valencia manager's impressive Champions League record of two finals in three years, already dented by a dismal showing against Marseille, took another direct hit from the buoyant Turks.

Liverpool are now looking at a tremendous finish to the group stages to go through, and they face a tricky last game at Marseille which they will now need to win.

Liverpool's name has already been woven into the fabric of Istanbul sporting folklore after that comeback against Milan two years ago to beat the Serie A giants from 3-0 down.

The Anfield fans were being offered warm messages of support all day by friendly Turks, and they even briefly stopped hawking their 'genuine fake watches' in the Grand Bazaar to pass on their best wishes.

Doubtless most were supporters of Besiktas's fierce rivals Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.

But while the atmosphere inside the Inonu Stadium was less intimidating than the bearpit that is Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen, there were still massed phalanxes of riot police on standby inside and out.

Besiktas were going to need all the help they could get according to local observers, and ear-splitting music whipped up the crowd over an hour before kick-off. The modest Turks had not won a Champions League group game at home since beating Sparta Prague four years ago, and their only goal against English opposition came two seasons ago in a 1-1 UEFA Cup home draw with Bolton.

The national flag-waving 30,000 Besiktas fans vastly outnumbered Liverpool's estimated 500 travelling army — not that Benitez and his players had any concerns as the temperature rose inside the ground.

Anfield's manager certainly could not be accused of a conservative approach to a tie that he had admitted needed to end in victory in the wake of Marseille's shock triumph in front of the Kop three weeks ago.

While the Turks sang their hearts out to a PA system that would have been closed down by every council in Britain, Benitez simply cranked up his Liverpool line-up a couple of notches for all-out attack.

His decision to field two wingers, Jermaine Pennant on the right and £11million summer signing Ryan Babel on the left, was the clearest signal that Liverpool were out to leave Turkey with the three points.

With Gerrard, substituted by Benitez against Everton, restored to his favourite centre midfield position alongside Javier Mascherano, it loaded the responsibility on to the skipper and his Argentine teammate.

But even with Fernando Torres's absence due to a thigh injury, there was still no place in Benitez's starting side for the seriously out of favour Peter Crouch as Dirk Kuyt partnered Andriy Voronin up front.

Besiktas did not even have the benefit of Ertugrul Sagnal in their dugout — the volatile young coach was serving a one-match suspension for overstepping the mark in the previous match against Porto.

They thought they had got off to a dream start when Steve Finnan appeared to handle in the penalty area inside three minutes, but the Danish referee ruled the ball had bounced up to make contact.

Besiktas went close again a minute later when Serdar Kurtulus launched a dipping volley that Jose Reina was glad to see land on the roof of his net, but Liverpool's luck was all out in the 13th minute.

Jamie Carragher seemed to have made a brilliant saving tackle on dangerman Bobo, but the ball was not cleared properly, striking Finnan, and Serdar Ozkan pounced quickly to fire a shot that went past a wrongfooted Reina off Hyypia.

So the flares were lit early as the stadium erupted, and suddenly Liverpool's ambitions faced a far sterner test by the Bosphorus than they might have expected when the draw was made.

Voronin had seen a flicked header cleared off the line by Tello, but Besiktas held out when Hakan Arikan saved well after Gerrard's neat one-two with Kuyt created the 20th-minute opening.

But the game was so open that Liverpool were always in with a chance of the equaliser, although Voronin might have done better when he pulled a shot wide of the far post with time on his side.

With Benitez urging them on from the touchline, Liverpool threw themselves into the second-half fray but needed another superb penaltyarea tackle by Carragher to prevent Bobo stealing a second goal.

Bobo as good as sealed the points when he spun past Hyypia before sliding a low shot under Reina in the 82nd minute.

But skipper Gerrard offered Liverpool hope of a late fightback with a spectacular header three minutes later after substitute Crouch had caused chaos in the home area.