Liverpool - 2 Kaunas - 0: Milan Baros will awake this morning more perplexed than ever as to why he has no future with the European champions. Liverpool may have progressed through to the third qualifying round last night, but this was an evening when their forwards floundered where they should have flourished.

This anaemic display was not typical of Liverpool's pre-season, which has been littered with goals, but it was indicative of their toils up front.

Djibril Cisse remains the only forward to have netted in the qualifying games, prodding in Luis Garcia's cross here for his third of the campaign, but most of their goals continue to come from midfield.

Steven Gerrard, inevitably, broke the deadlock but in the captain's absence his side too often lack the bite.

That remains a worry for Rafael Benitez and while his front-line continue to stutter, doubts will persist over the sense in shipping out last season's leading scorer.

Liverpool have been comfortable so far, easing beyond TNS and now FBK Kaunas, but tougher times lie ahead.

For the moment they will be content in the knowledge that only SK Tirana or, more likely, CSKA Sofia bar their passage back into the group stage.

Baros cut a lonely and increasingly disinterested figure in the directors' box.

The forward sat signing autographs merrily enough prior to kick-off last night though once the game was under way, he spent more time texting on his mobile phone than watching the contest.

That much was understandable given the lamentable game which spluttered before him, with the initial skirmishes enlivened only by Mohamed Sissoko's busy aggression in central midfield.

The Mali international, a £5.6million signing from Valencia, dragged a long-range shot wide as first-half stoppage time approached, though that was about as lively as it had got.

The Lithuanians, much changed and under new management after last week's first-leg defeat, might even have led though Nukri Manchkhava's free-kick was well claimed by Scott Carson.

Only once did Fernando Morientes and Peter Crouch combine to offer a hint of a threat.

A neat exchange on the edge of the area, the Spaniard nodding down for the Englishman to volley, was suffocated by the defenders in attendance.

Other than a weak header easily claimed, Morientes offered little and was withdrawn at the interval.

Cisse has yet to convince but his battered drive, supplied by a neat pass from Crouch, hinted at pedigree yet even this belated opportunity to develop a strike-pairing's understanding was scuppered when Crouch limped off clutching a hamstring.

Liverpool should have led sooner than they did.

Luis Garcia flitted into life and might have forced a penalty with Dainius Kunevicious handling in the area.

Soon after Boudewijn Zenden's volley might have pierced the Lithuanians' resolve had Irmantas Zelmikas not cleared from the line, with Sami Hyypia heading Dietmar Hamann's resultant corner on to the crossbar.

The tension needed to be eased and, typically, it needed Gerrard to provide the breakthrough.

The captain had already sent Cisse clean through when, two minutes after his introduction, his in-swinging cross slipped through Sarunas Kilijonas and dribbled into the corner.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said: "It was difficult to score in the first half - they (Kaunas)were very compact.

"We had more space in the second half and more pace - and at the end 2-0 is a good result."

Benitez was unable to shed any light on the hamstring injury which forced new signing Peter Crouch off in the second half, adding "we need to wait" but admitted Baros could still be an attacking option for the European championships.

Benitez said: "I don't have any news about a move - I don't read the newspapers - but he is a very good Liverpool player."

LIVERPOOL: Carson, Finnan, Hyypia, Whitbread, Warnock, Luis Garcia, Hamann (Gerrard 75), Sissoko, Zenden, Crouch (Potter 55), Morientes (Cisse 45). Subs Not Used: Reina, Riise, Alonso, Carragher. Goals: Gerrard 77, Cisse 86.

FBK KAUNAS: Kilijonas, Kancelskis, Zelmikas, Baguzis, Manchkhava, Pehlic (Barevicius 66), Vadim Petrenko (Klimek 45), Kvaratskhelia, Kunevicius, Poderis (Maciulis 87), Rimkevicius. Subs Not Used: Kurskis, Beniusis, Kijanskas, Papeckys.

Referee: Gianluca Paparesta (Italy).

Guardian service