The third-round, first leg Champions League qualifier brought together Wednesday two red titans, Bulgaria's CSKA and UK's Liverpool. The national stadium in the Balkan country's capital Sofia became the arena of a much-contested battle, in which the British team took the cutting edge. Liverpool defeated 3:1 CSKA Sofia during a spectacular game. Fernando Morientes scored twice for the Reds in Sofia to fix the result at 3:1 against the team of coach Miodrag Jesic. After a difficult 25-minute start the Reds of Rafael Benitez scored two goals in the net of CSKA's Hmaruk. Djibril Cisse opened the game for Liverpool in the 26th minute. Five minutes later Fernando Morientes doubled the lead after benefiting from a free-kick of Gerrard on the right. Morientes netted again in the 60th minute of second half to reassure victory for the Merseyside team on Sofia National Stadium. At the end of the first half Bulgaria's Velizar Dimitrov headed in a left-wing cross from Mourad Hidiouad to give the home side a lifeline 1:2 just before the half-time whistle.