Outstanding away performances have been Liverpool's speciality during their progress to the European Cup semi-finals via Bilbao and Lisbon, and they are likely to need another in the August 23 Stadium to reach the Final after last night's disgracefully cynical first leg against Dinamo Bucharest at Anfield. The Romanians came to defend by any means, fair or foul, and if the Swiss referee had done his admittedly trying job properly, the massed ranks they installed behind the ball would have been thinned out long before the end. As it was the yellow card appeared to be the only one in Mr Daina's possession and, although he showed it to Andone, Marin, Nicolae, and a substitute, Iamandi, the offenders had the ultimate satisfaction of denying Liverpool the decisive victory for which they were looking. The Romanians did, however, sustain the only serious casualty, Movila, whose jaw was reported broken after a collision with Souness. The English champions, inevitably, were drawn into the fray and the rhythm they achieved in destroying West Ham on Saturday was evident only in flashes. Dalglish, a target for many excesses, gave a courageous performance but even he had his edge blunted in the second half. Rush, too, can seldom have been more assiduously and vigorously marked, and his only dangerous attempt on goal, a superb volley, came in the 87th minute. It was left to Lee to score the only goal with a header, incongruously, midway through the first half. At that time it seemed that Liverpool might triumph over the violence.

They had survived an isolated moment of high anxiety when Augustin, after winning a tackle, embarked on a marvellous surge of fully 50 yards, sweeping imperiously past Lawrenson on the way, then beat Grobbelaar only to see the ball bounce back off a post. Shortly afterwards Andone, who has already served a European suspension, was cautioned for fouling Dalglish, disqualifying him from the second leg. Then Johnson, back in Liverpool's side because the recently signed Wark was ineligible, had his progress down the left halted by Marin. The tackle looked fair, but a free-kick was awarded and when Kennedy floated it into the goalmouth, Lee produced a downward header straight from the text book, that went across Moraru and into the far corner of the net. The Romanian spirit, questionably though it might have been expressed, refused to buckle and though the angry crowd howled Liverpool on, the goals refused to come. There was an odd chance, with Whelan going close before the interval, but as the match degenerated into a running battle Dinamo began to look as likely to score on their sharp breaks as did the frustrated Liverpool. Few angels were among those who trooped off to loud booing at the end; when Movila had been led off holding his jaw after a challenge from Souness that the hopelessly overworked referee did not see, a full-scale brawl had appeared possible, but that, of course, may still be to come in Bucharest.

Liverpool ran straight into a Romanian ambush at Anfield last night. The mystery men of Dinamo Bucharest put Joe Fagan's side through an Italian-style mincing machine to set up a potentially explosive second leg in a fortnight's time. Utilising every underhand trick in the book, the Bucharest bad boys somehow managed to restrict the English champions to a slender one-goal lead before a hostile and angry crowd. A series of brutal late challenges did little to stir Swiss referee Daina who contented himself with collecting just four names on a night which that little was short of shameful. Liverpool have faced many cynical sides in the past 20 years but none more so than Dinamo, who seemed to take positive delight in subjecting their opponents to blatant professional fouls. It was a painful message which will not have been lost on watching England boss Bobby Robson who must prepare our national side to face Romania in the forthcoming European championships. Disgraceful it may have been but in the final count it has to be said it was successful. Liverpool were knocked out of their normal rhythm and at times reduced to an uncoordinated shambles as they strove manfully to play football. The task which now faces them is a daunting one, but after having dominated both Athletic Bilbao and Benfica on foreign soil, a place in next month's Rome final is still within their grasp. The fact that the goal which was to finally break a thoroughly unpleasant deadlock, came as a direct result of a free-kick was no surprise at all. Practically every promising forward venture by Liverpool had been prematurely ended by an illegally-placed pair of Romanian boots. Fittingly, the offender on this occasion was Ion Marin, who upended Craig Johnston on the left as he had done so many times before without punishment. As Kenny Dalglish weighed up the options open to him, Alan Kennedy took matters firmly into his own hands, lofting the ball deep in the Dinamo's heavily populated penalty area. Darting in from the rear unnoticed by the white-shirted giants, shadowing the more obvious targets of Ian Rush and Graeme Souness, was little Sammy Lee. The smallest man on the field nipped in smartly to head the ball firmly past Moraru from close range. The lead was well earned and appeared to take some of the venom out of the Romanian play. Not that tranquillity prevailed for long. Within a matter of minutes Liverpool were back in a dogfight collecting more bruises than passes. When they did take time off from dishing out physical punishment to anyone in a red shirt, Dinamo, the first East European side ever to reach the last four of this illustrious competition, did look a reasonably effective side.

Naturally, the main objective had been to leave Merseyside with as small a disadvantage as possible, but they did enough on their rare breakaways to suggest the second leg in a fortnight's time will be an altogether different proposition. Liverpool came within inches of conceding their first European goal at Anfield this season after 18 minutes when they were almost made to pay for throwing so many men forward. A long ball from the back for once left Mark Lawrenson wrong-footed and before he could recover the lost ground Augustin was away. He drew Bruce Grobbelaar from his line before firing in low only for the ball to cannon back into play off the foot of a post. On a night when sportsmanship was the real loser, Liverpool created only two other clear cut chances.

Romanian champions Dinamo Bucharest left Anfield last night claiming that Liverpool skipper Graeme Souness had punched their key midfield player Lica Movila out of the European Cup semi-final. Movila was substituted after 71 hostile minutes of last night's first leg with a suspected double fracture of the jaw. The injury will almost certainly rule him out of the return leg in Bucharest in a fortnight's tie. Souness countered the accusation by saying: "I know nothing about it." He added: "It was a physical game and if it had been an English League game I think a couple of players would have been sent off". Dinamo are also certain to be without Ion Andone for the second game. He was one of four Romanians booked by Swiss official Mr A. Daina, and must serve his second suspension of the European campaign. Marin, Nicolae and Iamandi were the other men shown the yellow card as Anfield's 36,000 spectators reacted angrily to the Romanians' physical tactics and time-wasting. Afterwards, Liverpool manager Joe Fagan remained diplomatic. He said: "There is a UEFA observer here who will present his report about this match. We will leave it to him. That's his job. It does not worry me what might happen over there. This is one competition in which you have faith in the referees. I said yesterday that I did not mind a hard game as long as it was fair. I was well pleased with my lads especially the fact that we did not get a booking and no-one was injured. I have never made comments about referees and I do not intend to make one now. We have got the goal and I don't think we have done badly. Now it is up to them to do it”. Goalscorer Sammy Lee gave Liverpool their priceless advantage with a rare header in the first half and said afterwards: "Alan Kennedy seemed to stutter before he crossed the ball, which gave me time to get in and their defence hesitated”.