Liverpool 1-2 Leeds United

	Steven Gerrard is sent off (AlexLivesey/Allsport)

An all-conquering run-in would bring them the Premiership's third Champions League spot for starters, but such is their extraordinary desire to succeed that winning the European Cup itself cannot be discounted.

Those lucky enough to be at Anfield yesterday witnessed a team driven by a single passion and united by ambition. David O'Leary's men showed plenty of talent, organisation and tactical acumen to overcome Gerard Houllier's side for the second time in the Premiership this season, courtesy of goals by Rio Ferdinand and Lee Bowyer.

Valuable as those attributes are, however, they possess the one additional quality which only those who achieve the spectacular can boast. It is not something you can buy, teach or even instill. You either have it or you haven't - and it does not last forever. Put simply, at this particular moment Leeds feel invincible.

You can see it in the way they approach a game and sense it every time a player makes to tackle, pass or shoot. Buried deep inside is a belief that they cannot fail and, as a result, they are not afraid of anything or anyone.

Personnel can change - and it has for Leeds dramatically throughout the season - but this kind of intense self- confidence will forge results whatever the circumstances.

Since they dropped to the depths of 15th just after the turn of the year, a remarkable transformation has taken place. They have achieved eight victories in their last 11 League matches, and the only team to beat them since Liverpool knocked them out of the FA Cup on January 27 are reigning European champions Real Madrid.

To the outsider it may look as though they are living a charmed life. Manchester United were the last English team to exude such an aura on their unstoppable charge to a unique Treble two years ago.

O'Leary's side may still be well short of that achievement, but they remain the most likely of the country's three Champions League sides to progress to the semi-finals next week.

Liverpool are already halfway to the UEFA Cup Final, having drawn 0-0 in Barcelona last week, but they performed well below that standard against their fiercest rivals for admission to next season's blue riband event.

Within four minutes, Stephane Henchoz was forced to race across Mark Viduka to head Danny Mills' volleyed centre away for a corner. The warning went unheeded and from Ian Harte's flag-kick to the back post, Ferdinand nodded into the net.

Captain for the day, the £18million England centre back started as he meant to go on. His example was impeccable, his attitude the epitome of the authority which fuelled every player in white.

It was ironic that Steven Gerrard was the player who lost him for the goal. Gerrard was by far Liverpool's most dangerous and motivated player, though his Good Friday was destined to be cut short by misdemeanour.

Leeds have come some way since the 'No One Likes Us, We Don't Care' days of old but they have not lost their ability to irritate opponents. O'Leary has honed their competitive instinct and Alan Smith, David Batty and Bowyer are especially good at winding people up.

Referee Alan Wiley had no choice but to book Gerrard when he took Harry Kewell late. Though the midfielder was not the worst offender, he was punished for persistence.

The Australian, unperturbed, continued to edge closer to full fitness and another of his traversing runs from inside left went unchallenged long enough to release Bowyer at Sander Westerveld.

Cool as you like, Bowyer popped the ball into the net past the goal-keeper's flailing hands. Houllier put Gary McAllister and Vladimir Smicer on for the second half in place of the ineffective Danny Murphy and Patrik Berger. With renewed shape and urgency, they threatened Nigel Martyn's goal for the first time.

Jamie Carragher laid the ball into Michael Owen's darting run and his centre was perfectly measured for Gerrard to convert a controlled volley. A quarter-of-an-hour later, a less measured flick at Batty earned the England midfielder a second caution and an early bath.

Though Batty himself protested, Gerrard walked - his face half-covered by his jersey, the other half by shame. There was no way back for Liverpool and Viduka awakened to dribble and clip the post with a shot from the 18-yard line.

One final searing counter saw Robbie Keane set up the Australian to finish the match off with a clever chip which the referee's assistant wrongly ruled off-side. It hardly mattered.

Leeds had prevailed and at the final whistle one reaction showed just what Champions League football will mean, both financially and otherwise, when chairman Peter Ridsdale jumped from his seat punching the air.

Liverpool, on the other hand should be kicking themselves - this was a match they could not afford to lose.