Liverpool only winners on night of three draws

LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) Craig Bellamy and John-Arne Riise, who made headlines for all the wrong reasons last week, were Liverpool's scoring heroes in a famous 2-1 win over European champions Barcelona.

The two players were both fined and heavily censured by coach Rafa Benitez after a bust-up during the club's training camp in Portugal last week but both repaid Benitez's faith in playing them by finding the net yesterday.

The 2005 European champions now take a huge advantage into the second leg against the 2006 champions when they reconvene in the first round of this Champions League tie at Anfield in two weeks time.

Elsewhere former Porto boss Jose Mourinho saw his Chelsea side come back to draw 1-1 at the Dragao Stadium in an eventful match, AS Roma and Olympique Lyon drew 0-0 in Rome and Inter Milan conceded a late goal to draw 2-2 at the San Siro with Valencia.

OUTSTANDING MATCH The outstanding match on a relatively quiet night of European soccer was at the Nou Camp where Liverpool, the only English club ever to beat Barcelona there back in 1976, repeated the feat.

Deco headed Barca ahead after 14 minutes and Bellamy equalised with a header that squirmed out of goalkeeper Victor Valdes's grasp and over the line two minutes before halftime.

Liverpool played the better football in the second half and deservedly went ahead when Riise lashed in the winner 16 minutes from the end.

Deco came close to equalising when he hit the post from a free kick before the Catalans slumped to only their second defeat in their last 20 Champions League matches and their first at home in the competition since April 2003.

FRIENDS REUNITED Riise told Sky Sports News he and Bellamy had put the incident -- which involved a row over a Karaoke song and the unconventional use of a golf club -- behind them: ''It is all over, it's behind us and we have to look to the future now,'' he said.

''There is no problem between him and me and all the team are very happy.'' Bellamy, who celebrated his goal with an exaggerated golf-swing action, told Sky Sports News he agreed with his Norwegian team mate.

''There is no problem between us. You know how strict the manager is. If there was a big problem then I wouldn't have been here -- but there isn't one.'' More REUTERS PDS RN0532