Michael Owen missed a penalty as battling Liverpool clawed their way into the last eight of the UEFA Cup despite losing to a Gianni Guigou goal at Anfield.

Roma dominated vast periods of the match, but with wonderful defending from Sami Hyypia, Stephane Henchoz, Markus Babbel and Jamie Carragher - plus gritty tackling from Christian Ziege and Didi Hamann - Gerard Houllier's men hung on to win on aggregate and set up a quarter-final clash with Porto.

The match ignited when Owen had a 69th-minute penalty saved by Francesco Antonioli in the Roma goal.

Substitute Guigou then put the Italians ahead with a cracking long-range shot and the last 20 minutes were explosive.

Roma - setting the pace at the top of Serie A - felt they had been denied a penalty for a Markus Babbel handball, and lost their cool with Spanish referee Jose Garcia-Aranda.

In the end it was fortunate that only Damiano Tommasi saw the red card.

But Liverpool clung on to make sure of the double-header with the Portuguese giants, with the away leg taking place in two weeks' time and the second leg at Anfield seven days later on March 15.

Their bandwagon rolls on now to Cardiff and the Worthington Cup Final, with two quarter-final berths assured this week.

It was a night that brought back vivid memories of Liverpool's glorious past as the Anfield club unashamedly milked the nostalgia.

Liverpool branded the day 'Paisley Day' - and even brought out his widow Jessie to witness a tear-jerking rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' by an angelic choir before the start.

But with the level of expectation so high, the current stars had to live up to the men of the past who under Bob Paisley beat Roma in the European Cup Final in 1984.

The Merseyside outfit showed just one change from the team that won 2-0 in the Stadio Olimpico last week, with Emile Heskey returning for Robbie Fowler, who was on the bench.

Roma brought in Antonio Zago, Marcos Assuncao and Jonathan Zebina for Cafu, Emerson and the suspended Amadeo Mangone. There was still no place in the starting line-up for Gabriel Batistuta, who was once again on the bench.

Roma's clever, slick control and passing was hugely impressive in the opening stages.

Liverpool had a 30-yarder from Carragher saved by Antonioli, but apart from that it was Roma's movement and pace that forced the home side to defend for long spells.

Vincenzo Montella was booked for what appeared to be slapping Hyypia after just four minutes.

A succession of hefty long balls aimed at Heskey were the best Liverpool could offer and they were more occupied battling to keep Hidetoshi Nakata and Assuncao in check.

Roma's pressure looked to have paid off on 20 minutes when Nakata's threaded a ball through the home defence for Marco Delvecchio - but the striker pulled his shot wide of the far post with only Sander Westerveld to beat.

The Italian side continued their controlled forward movement, maintaining much of the possession, the ball spinning from flank to flank with Liverpool forced to defend in numbers.

Hamann needed to be at his tackling best, with Ziege and Nick Barmby forced back down the flanks to supplement the Reds' defence.

Assuncao was booked for hauling back Hamann after 29 minutes, but six minutes later Liverpool countered when Ziege's fierce free-kick was just blocked at full stretch on his line by Antonioli.

Zebina was next into the book for a foul on Ziege a minute later, and then Owen missed a glorious opening when he snatched at a chance and pulled the ball wide of a post.

In the second half Westerveld blocked a low drive from Vincent Candela, before Batistuta joined the action just before the hour mark as a replacement for Delvecchio. Guigou took over from Alessandro Rinaldi at the same time.

And within a minute of that double substitution, Owen wasted a great chance to finish off the tie.

Zebina was adjudged to have held Heskey in the box - but Owen's weakly-hit penalty was saved by Antonioli, diving low to his right.

Roma were instantly back on the attack and after 64 minutes Westerveld again had to be at his best to beat out a Zago 25-yarder.

Owen was taken off two minutes later, with Vladimir Smicer joining the action.

And on 70 minutes Roma got the goal they deserved when Guigou unleashed a 25-yarder that Westerveld could not keep out.

Five minutes later Garcia-Aranda brandished four yellow cards after Montella's cross seemed to be handled by Markus Babbel. The official seemed to award a penalty but then gave the visitors a corner - prompting angry complaints from the Italians.

Tommasi, Babbel, Guigou and Walter Samuel looked to be the guilty men in the fracas that followed before Robbie Fowler was thrown on to replace an exhausted Barmby.

Tommasi was dismissed four minutes from time when he picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Fowler.

And Babbel was lucky not to follow the Roma player for retaliating against Batistuta.

The game finished with a mass brawl after Fowler had looked to twice be pushed in the throat.

But Liverpool held their nerve in the latter stages to make sure their European adventure continues.

Teams

Liverpool: Westerveld, Babbel, Hyypia, Henchoz, Carragher, Ziege, Hamann, McAllister, Barmby (Fowler 81), Heskey, Owen (Smicer 67).

Subs Not Used: Arphexad, Diomede, Vignal, Wright, Navaro.

Roma Antonioli, Zago, Assuncao, Samuel, Zebina , Nakata, Tommasi, Candela, Rinaldi (Guigou 59), Delvecchio (Batistuta 59), Montella (Balbo 79).

Subs Not Used: Lupatelli, Di Francesco, D'Agostino, Bovo.

Sent Off: Tommasi (85).

Booked: Montella, Assuncao, Zebina , Tommasi, Guigou .

Goals: Guigou 70.

Agg (2-1)

Att: 43,688

Ref: Jose Maria Garcia-Aranda ().