Europa League: Liverpool v Steaua Bucharest and Salzburg v Manchester City

What comes to mind when you think of European football at Anfield? A packed house with the Kop singing their heart out? Unfortunately you won't be getting that tonight as the Europa League rolls into town. Lets hope that Liverpool put in a display that the 25,606 hardy souls who did turn up will enjoy Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images

Blimey, no one expected that! Just 27 seconds in and Liverpool get a dream start courtesy of Steaua defender Iasmin Latovlevici. He makes a slap-dash backpass which Joe Cole latches on to, the Liverpool midfielder then clipping a wonderful finish into the bottom right-hand corner. A nice way for him to open his account for the Reds Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Liverpool are all over Steaua Bucharest for the first quarter of an hour, but if they underestimated the Romanians, they were taught a lesson just a minute later. Bogdan Stancu plays a lovely, defence-splitting pass through the middle which Cristian Tanase sprints on to. As Pepe Reina comes out, the Steaua striker chips the ball over the keeper and into the net. 1-1, game on Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters

Liverpool's Fernando Torres looks a tad bored as he watches the match from the stands. Either that or he's running through in his mind what he'd be doing out there Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images

Liverpool must be relieved to go in at half-time level as Steaua have had the majority of the chances so far. The home side start the second half brightly and nine minutes in are given a penalty. Liverpool's Sotiris Kyrgiakos jumps for a header but Pantelis Kapetanos's hand is on his shoulder as he does so which causes the Liverpool centre-half to come crashing down like a sack of spuds – meaning David Ngog has a chance from 12 yards ... Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters

Ngog steps up and notches the penalty, keeping it low and hard as well as outfoxing the keeper and sending him the wrong way Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Cole continues to be a thorn in the Romanians' side Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Eric Bicfalvi tussles with Ryan Babel Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

With just 10 minutes left, Lucas puts paid to any idea of a Steaua comeback when he thwacks the ball goalwards from 25 yards out ... Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

...and it flies past Tatarusanu and into the net. He had no chance of getting that Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters

Cole is still putting himself about Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Liverpool continue to push forward and in injury time Ngog gets his second of the game and Liverpool's fourth. He picked the ball up 22 yards out before drifting into the box, bundling through two weak tackles as he went and then stroking the ball into the net Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Meanwhile, over in Salzburg the Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini keeps an eye on his players during their warm up Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images

Just seven minutes in and City go ahead courtesy of David Silva and it's his first goal for the club. Wayne Bridge sent in a good cross from the left which came to Jô who held the ball up before passing to the Spain winger to finish from nine yards Photograph: Dominic Ebenbichler/Reuters

Just after the hour mark, Carlos Tevez hits a piledriver from outside the box which the keeper can only parry, and Jô is the quickest to respond, slaming the ball home to give City a deserved victory Photograph: Kerstin Joensson/AP

City don't have it totally their own way though and Joe Hart has to be alert to deny Salzburg and ensure that the game finishes 2-0 Photograph: Leonhard Foeger/Reuters