Liverpool have beaten Standard Liege in the last minutes of extra-time in the 2nd-leg of their Champions League 3rd round qualifying match to progress to the next round of the Champions League.

The first-leg finished in a goalless draw, but the Belgian champions proved that they are an excellent team and almost took an early lead at Anfield.

It was a superb save from Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina that denied Deiudonne Mbokani from opening the scoring, with the Spanish keeper diving low to his right to palm away Mbokani’s venomous shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Yossi Benayoun fluffed his shot after a decent piece of interplay between the Liverpool midfield, but the Israeli failed to capitalise on his run and missed the target.

The home-side were unable to take control of the match, while the visitors continued to threaten to score, with Igor De Camargo and Deiudonne Mbokani again testing Reina in the first half of the opening period and the Reds keeper keeping the European giants in the competition.

Xabi Alonso tested Standard Liege keeper Rorys Aragon soon after, but his shot from outside the penalty area skirted just wide of the Belgian champions’ post.

Liverpool were struggling to withhold the visitors, who ended the first-half the stronger team of the two.

Liverpool came out for the second-half with far more intent and started to apply pressure to Standard Liege players, but still had to face a threat on the break.

Dirk Kuyt came close a couple of times late in the half, but was yet again denied by Liege keeper Rorys Aragon with a close-range block on his first attempt, and went just wide on his second attempt.

The game went into extra-time, with Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez knowing that if Liege were to score, they would need to score twice to stay in Europe's top-flight competition.

Liverpool continued to press in extra-time, but found it hard to find a way through a well-marshalled Standard Liege defence, despite attempts from the home-side to break the stalemate.

Liverpool finally got the breakthrough in the 28th minute of extra-time, to dramatically seal a slender Champions League qualifying win.

Dirk Kuyt was the one to break the deadlock, latching onto a pinpoint cross from Ryan Babel on the far-post to slot the ball home from close-range and seal a place in the Champions League Group Stage draw on Thursday.

Liverpool v Standard Liege Teamsheets:

Liverpool Team: Pepe Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa, Fabio Aurelio, Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Yossi Benayoun (Ryan Babel, 61), Dirk Kuyt, Fernando Torres (Damien Plessis, 120), Robbie Keane (Nabil El Zhar, 83).

Liverpool Substitutes Not Used: Diego Cavalieri, Andrea Dossena, Daniel Agger, Jay Spearing.

Standard Liege Team: Rorys Aragon, Marcos Camozzato, Oguchi Onyewu, Bonfim Dante, Adama Sarr, Wilfred Dalmat (Milan Jovanovic, 86), Steven Defour (Benjamin Nicaise, 118), Marouane Fellaini, Axel Witsel, Deiudonne Mbokani, Igor De Camargo (Salim Toama, 101).

Standard Liege Substitutes Not Used: Jeremy Devriendt, Reginal Goreux, Marco Ingrao, Leon Benko, Tomislav Mikulic.