Crouch celebrate best goals
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Peter Crouch struck twice as Liverpool edged a five-goal thriller against Galatasaray tonight.
The 6ft 7in striker celebrated his recall to the starting line-up by opening the scoring before Luis Garcia doubled the home side's advantage inside 15 minutes.
Crouch's spectacular scissors kick made it 3-0 after half time and, although Galatasaray substitute Umit Karan set the nerves jangling with a quickfire double, the England striker's amazing goal proved decisive.
"It was great. It's nice to get a goal like that. It was obviously a special one," Crouch told Sky Sports 2.
Asked if it was his best goal for the club, he said: "Yes I would say so - you don't get too many of those. Most of the time they go over the stand and thankfully that one went in the corner and it's got us the win, so it's great."
The striker was quick to praise the supply line that set up his twin strikes, a brilliant Fabio Aurelio cross laying on his first and Steve Finnan also finding him for his second.
"I think everyone knows I thrive on that," Crouch said. "It was a superb cross from Fabio."
Crouch admitted Liverpool were holding on for the final half-hour as Galatasaray went all out attack in search of an equaliser.
"It shouldn't have been that nervy," he said. "It was a confident 3-0 and we just wanted to see the game out.
"They're dangerous sides in the Champions League if you step back and allow teams to come on to you.
"We worked so hard in the first half maybe it caused a lapse in the second half."
Crouch will hope he has done enough to keep his place in the side for Saturday's Barclays Premiership trip to Bolton and bears no grudge about sitting on the bench in recent matches.
He said: "The boys have been doing well, the boys who've been playing, and you've got to expect to be on the bench every now and again with the quality we've got."
Manager Rafael Benitez acknowledged his side survived a severe examination late on after Galatasaray went for broke.
He said: "After we conceded the goal, we were under pressure all the time. We couldn't score the winning goal - the fourth goal - and we were under pressure.
"I think that they knew the game was over, was finished, and they decided to play with two strikers - going forward all the time.
"You need to play quick counter-attack and finish the game.
"I think at 2-0 we were controlling the game, we were creating chances and my idea was we would see what happens in the second half.
"We started with the third goal and you think, okay, it's finished.
"But, as I said before, if you concede, it's a big problem."
Benitez pinpointed the quality of crossing in the game as a strength going forward for his side but a weakness at the other end.
"First half was fantastic and the goal of Crouchy was amazing. We had these crosses and these goals, but after, we had the same problems.
"Sometime when you go too high, you leave space. It was an open game and some managers don't like open games, especially when you are winning 3-0.
"We were going forward and also they were going forward.
"I was worried at the end. I had confidence at 3-0 for sure, but I was worried at the end.
"We were losing a lot of second balls."
However, Benitez was ultimately happy with the victory, saying: "I said to players the most important thing was three points.
"It was more difficult than we were expecting at the end but we have three points and are at the top of the group."
The 6ft 7in striker celebrated his recall to the starting line-up by opening the scoring before Luis Garcia doubled the home side's advantage inside 15 minutes.
Crouch's spectacular scissors kick made it 3-0 after half time and, although Galatasaray substitute Umit Karan set the nerves jangling with a quickfire double, the England striker's amazing goal proved decisive.
"It was great. It's nice to get a goal like that. It was obviously a special one," Crouch told Sky Sports 2.
Asked if it was his best goal for the club, he said: "Yes I would say so - you don't get too many of those. Most of the time they go over the stand and thankfully that one went in the corner and it's got us the win, so it's great."
The striker was quick to praise the supply line that set up his twin strikes, a brilliant Fabio Aurelio cross laying on his first and Steve Finnan also finding him for his second.
"I think everyone knows I thrive on that," Crouch said. "It was a superb cross from Fabio."
Crouch admitted Liverpool were holding on for the final half-hour as Galatasaray went all out attack in search of an equaliser.
"It shouldn't have been that nervy," he said. "It was a confident 3-0 and we just wanted to see the game out.
"They're dangerous sides in the Champions League if you step back and allow teams to come on to you.
"We worked so hard in the first half maybe it caused a lapse in the second half."
Crouch will hope he has done enough to keep his place in the side for Saturday's Barclays Premiership trip to Bolton and bears no grudge about sitting on the bench in recent matches.
He said: "The boys have been doing well, the boys who've been playing, and you've got to expect to be on the bench every now and again with the quality we've got."
Manager Rafael Benitez acknowledged his side survived a severe examination late on after Galatasaray went for broke.
He said: "After we conceded the goal, we were under pressure all the time. We couldn't score the winning goal - the fourth goal - and we were under pressure.
"I think that they knew the game was over, was finished, and they decided to play with two strikers - going forward all the time.
"You need to play quick counter-attack and finish the game.
"I think at 2-0 we were controlling the game, we were creating chances and my idea was we would see what happens in the second half.
"We started with the third goal and you think, okay, it's finished.
"But, as I said before, if you concede, it's a big problem."
Benitez pinpointed the quality of crossing in the game as a strength going forward for his side but a weakness at the other end.
"First half was fantastic and the goal of Crouchy was amazing. We had these crosses and these goals, but after, we had the same problems.
"Sometime when you go too high, you leave space. It was an open game and some managers don't like open games, especially when you are winning 3-0.
"We were going forward and also they were going forward.
"I was worried at the end. I had confidence at 3-0 for sure, but I was worried at the end.
"We were losing a lot of second balls."
However, Benitez was ultimately happy with the victory, saying: "I said to players the most important thing was three points.
"It was more difficult than we were expecting at the end but we have three points and are at the top of the group."
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