LEICESTER CITY...0 LIVERPOOL...0: The European Cup used to find its way to Anfield like a homing pigeon. These days, however, Liverpool's only chance of top-flight European football is if they get there through the back door and on the evidence yesterday there is little to suggest that, if they do return to the Champions League, it will be for any purpose but to make up numbers.

Courtesy of Newcastle's defeat at Bolton, Liverpool do at least move a point clear of their closest rivals in the contest to finish in fourth place and qualify for the continent's top competition. Yet Houllier described it as a "missed opportunity" and, after all the political infighting and finger-pointing of the last few weeks, particularly in the aftermath of their UEFA Cup defeat at Marseille last Thursday, his discomfort was there for all to see when a poor offside decision midway through the first half brought the Liverpool manager off the bench in an uncharacteristic fit of pique.

Outdoing even Phil Thompson in terms of eye-boggling rage, Houllier was so incensed he appeared determined to vent his feelings on the linesman and had to be restrained by the Leicester manager Micky Adams. "I don't like to see experienced managers get in trouble," Adams ventured afterwards.

Doubtless Houllier's frustrations were exacerbated at that stage by the number of chances his side had passed up. They were easily the better side throughout the opening exchanges but, deprived of the injured Michael Owen and with Emile Heskey playing only a peripheral part, they lacked an incisive edge despite the intelligent promptings of Milan Baros.

In the second half, however, Leicester managed to subdue their opponents and, having created enough opportunities to make the visiting goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek a viable contender for man of the match, they might have snatched a victory in injury-time when Steffen Freund's astute delivery picked out Muzzy Izzet six yards from goal. However, the long-serving midfielder skewed his shot and Leicester remain in the relegation zone, despite extending their unbeaten sequence to six matches.

"Don't forget that last Thursday we played 10 against 11 for practically an hour," said Houllier as an explanation for their sluggish finish. "I thought we showed a lack of freshness but, in terms of possession and chances, we should have won. When you play away you don't expect to create 10 or more chances."

Few of those, however, were clear-cut. Liverpool's best early moments came in the form of long-range shots from Steven Gerrard and Bruno Cheyrou and the French midfielder also skimmed the angle of the crossbar shortly after the restart.

The let-off seemed to galvanise Leicester. Finally working up a head of steam, Leicester had their best period of the match, with Izzet and Ben Thatcher both testing Dudek with well-struck shots. The Liverpool goalkeeper was not found wanting and after 74 minutes he spared the blushes of his team-mates again, charging off his goal-line to save bravely at the feet of Paul Dickov after the striker had been sent scampering clear by Les Ferdinand's adroit flick.

Until Izzet's late aberration that was the best chance of the match, although Baros also had a splendid opening at the other end, when Danny Murphy's back-heel gave the Czech Republic international an opportunity he squandered with a tame shot.

That apart, however, Liverpool struggled to replicate their earlier dominance, with Heskey having one of his more lethargic days against his former club and Baros becoming increasingly ineffective before eventually being substituted. "The second-half performance was excellent," said Adams.

Yet he was indebted as much to Liverpool's profligacy as he was to the obduracy of his own players.