Liverpool at home are one of football's more active volcanoes, and although their attacking eruptions merited more than a 1-1 draw against Barcelona at Anfield last night, the result was all they needed to put them into the final of the UEFA Cup, against Bruges, for the second time in three years. And no one could say that they did not deserve their reward. The second leg of their semi-final was not just a story of constant attacks being repulsed by a massed defence and a great deal of bad luck; that could be judged by the fact that Liverpool were about to take their twentieth corner to Barcelona's one when the referee signalled time. The tale was also one of great character, for the uncompromising tackling of the Spaniards and a few odd interpretations of the laws by the Italian official - Liverpool twice appealed in vain for penalties - could easily have frustrated a side of lesser experience. For all that, the game had excitement, inventiveness, and power, with Mora keeping Liverpool on tenterhooks more than anyone, even if he looked jittery and preferred to punch the ball, not always wisely, instead of catching it. The Spanish goalkeeper might have enjoyed a great deal of fortune as Liverpool mounted attacks of increasing veracity but he also made a catalogue of saves when the Merseyside team finally began to find passes through the man-made mountains in the Barcelona defence. It was not, therefore, his fault that Barcelona were left with nothing to play for this season. Neither was it Cruyff's. He did not exactly look worth his new pay packet of 10,000 pounds a week, but he received precious little assistance from his teammates when the Spaniards threw off their wholly-defensive shell with the minutes running out. In fact, although they had Liverpool's record European crowd of 55,104 - with 10,000 locked out - biting fingernails, they were simply not up to the task, in spite of the score, of really testing a side whose similar domination on another night could give them a victory of almost embarrassing ease. As it was, the goal by Thompson, five minutes after the interval, was cancelled out in the next minute only because Liverpool's celebrations perhaps caused them momentarily to lose concentration. And it was something that did not recur.

Keegan, especially in the first half, was a model of industry and his darting changes of direction often had the Spanish backs nonplussed. And if he really means to hawk his talents abroad when his contract expires in two years, Barcelona could be heading the queue for his services. Toshack, scorer of the vital goal in the first leg, also posed problems, and Heighway, who suffered more than most at the hands - and feet - of Rife. made several runs which created havoc. Almost everyone joined in the siege, however, with even Smith, Neal, and Kennedy joining the front runners in seeing chances blocked or flashing narrowly wide. Toshack almost opened the scoring three minutes before halftime (when the Spaniards were jeered off the field), with a header that Mora saved only by reflex action. But what upset Liverpool supporters was the hard line taken by Barcelona's strong men. Apart from Rife, Migueli, who with Rexach was booked, and Costas were not averse to throwing their weight about. And generally the spectators cries of "Play football" were rarely heeded. Except by Liverpool, that is. In the fiftieth minute the crowd's disgust turned to joy - even if it was short lived - when a free kick by Smith was nodded on by Keegan. Toshack flicked the ball back into the six-yard box, and Thompson won the race with Keegan to the ball and forced it home for only his second goal of the season. There was not much time to catch breath before Rexach drove the ball into the net in spite of a despairing attempt by Hughes to handle on the line after Neeskens had pulled Cruyff’s pass back to the blond striker. But Liverpool then made sure that Mora had hardly any time to catch his breath by increasing the pressure so that Toshack, who foiled Barcelona's offside trap beautifully, Heighway, and Case, who gave way to Hall ten minutes from the end, were provided with a multitude of chances. That they were not taken hardly matters now. Liverpool are in the Final, and Bruges must surely be next on their list of victims so that one trophy, at least, will again grace the boardroom.