Ten-man Liverpool bowed out of the UEFA Cup after Marseille came from behind to make the Premiership side pay for having Igor Biscan sent off.

Emile Heskey had given Liverpool a first-half lead before Biscan saw red for tugging Steve Marlet's shorts and Didier Drogba equalised from the penalty spot.

In the second half Abdoulaye Meite's header gave Marseille victory and despite Liverpool's depleted forces who battling away until the final whistle they could not find an equaliser.

Liverpool had made three changes to the team that drew 1-1 in the first leg of their fourth round tie.

In came John Arne Riise, Heskey and Biscan with Milan Baros, Stephane Henchoz and Steve Finnan making way at the Stade Velodrome.

Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher were both playing their 50th European games as Liverpool tried to seal a place in the last eight.

Their French opponents made just one change, leaving out Sebastien Perez who was given such a hard time by Harry Kewell in the first clash. Demetrius Ferreira took over from the former Blackburn defender.

Ferreira's first involvement was a long, angled ball over Liverpool's defence but Jerzy Dudek got off his line quickly to end Didier Drogba's hopes of an early strike.

Liverpool were playing with Kewell in the 'hole' behind Heskey and Owen as they looked for a vital away goal.

Steven Gerrard's ball over the top aimed at Heskey caused panic in the home defence, where Fabien Barthez came rushing out to clutch the ball but was clattered by his own man Habib Beye with Heskey chasing.

The France keeper, on loan from Manchester United, needed lengthy treatment and ended with a patched-up bloody nose.

It was a messy start to the game but out of nothing Liverpool struck with the goal they desperately wanted.

Kewell lost possession on the left after 17 minutes but battled to win it back and found Steven Gerrard. The Liverpool skipper threaded a fine ball into Heskey's path and the big striker surged forward before drilling his shot past Barthez.

Owen was jeered every time he got near the ball, the French crowd no doubt aware that England will be the first team their national side will face in Euro 2004.

And it was the striker's contribution on the left which almost created a goal for Danny Murphy, who took Owen's neat pass to cut inside and curl an angled 20-yard effort inches over the far angle.

Then Riise's long pass again found the England frontman in space as he raced down the left. However, Owen pushed the ball just too far ahead and allowed Barthez to claim it as he came off his line.

Liverpool were finding far more space than was afforded them by Marseille at Anfield, with Heskey and then Gerrard both threatening from long range.

Then from Riise's long throw, the ball bounced dangerously in the box and Barthez had to punch away as Owen closed in.

Liverpool, though, were hit on the break after 38 minutes. On-loan Fulham striker Steve Marlet and Biscan were locked in a race for a long through-ball and, as the pair tussled on the edge of the box, the Frenchman stabbed the ball just wide.

However, Spanish referee Dauden Ibanez had seen a tug by the Liverpool defender on Marlet's shorts and pointed to the penalty spot before showing Biscan a red card.

The initial contact appeared to have taken place just outside the area, but that did not matter to Drogba, who calmly dispatched the resulting penalty high into the net.

Marseille had the ball in the net again during first-half stoppage time, but Drogba's header was ruled out for a foul on Sami Hyypia following a corner.

Liverpool's chances of surviving seemed remote with 10 men and Marseille's front men buzzing from the start of the second period.

Dudek was put under intense pressure and both Hyypia and Carragher were forced into hasty, scrambled clearances from the edge of the six-yard box.

Liverpool were playing with just three defenders and Dietmar Hamann dropping deep with the need to score again uppermost in their minds.

Gerrard twice got down the line to fire in good crosses before Hyypia saw a looping header cleared from under the bar and Barthez squared up to Owen as the pair went for the dropping ball.

In response Marseille increased the pressure and, after Riise had allowed a cross to come in unchallenged from the left and Hyypia had been forced to head behind for a corner, the home side struck again on 63 minutes.

The corner was curled in and defender Meite arrived deep in the heart of the Liverpool box to power a header into the roof of the net and put the home side 2-1 ahead and 3-2 in front on aggregate.

Three minutes later Owen was taken off, apparently after feeling his hamstring tighten, and went straight to the dressing room with Liverpool's medical staff. He was replaced by Milan Baros.

Marlet almost scored with a header from another corner, with Liverpool still playing with two strikers such was the need for them to score a second goal. Gerard Houllier had to maintain that policy, and then took off Murphy for the more attacking Bruno Cheyrou in midfield after 73 minutes.

Carragher was booked for dissent as another decision from referee Ibanez infuriated Liverpool. Marseille then took off Laurent Batlles and brought on Ahmed Hossam Mido after 75 minutes, and then Camel Meriem for Marlet with eight minutes left.

Liverpool's last throw of the dice was Florent Sinama-Pongolle coming on for Kewell with five minutes remaining.

He almost played Heskey in as Liverpool threw everything forward in the final minutes, and Cheyrou sent a dipping drive just over from Heskey's nod down with Marseille living on their nerves.

But the French side held on and Houllier's men were sent crashing out of Europe.

Teams

Marseille Barthez, Ferreira, Dos Santos, Meite, Beye, Flamini, Hemdani, N'Diaye, Batlles (Mido 71), Drogba, Marlet (Meriem 79).

Subs Not Used: Gavanon, Christanval, Perez, Ecker, Celestini.

Booked: Mido.

Goals: Drogba 38 pen, Meite 58.

Liverpool Dudek, Carragher, Riise, Hyypia, Biscan, Kewell (Sinama Pongolle 82), Murphy (Cheyrou 69), Hamann, Gerrard, Heskey, Owen (Baros 62).

Subs Not Used: Luzi Bernardi, Henchoz, Traore, Diouf.

Sent Off: Biscan (36).

Booked: Carragher.

Goals: Heskey 15. Agg (3-2)

Att: 50,000

Ref: Arturo Dauden Ibanez (Spain).

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