Liverpool will take the narrowest of leads to Turkey for their Europa League play-off second leg tie next Thursday after Ryan Babel’s strike in first-half stoppage time proved the difference between the two sides.

Roy Hodgson’s men had created little until Joe Cole threaded an inch-perfect pass through to the young Dutchman who deftly side-footed the ball past keeper Onur Kivrak.

But Trabzonspor were grateful to Kivrak for a string of saves as Liverpool threatened to over-run them in the third quarter.

Babel’s goal was his last touch. But his replacement, one Fernando Torres, nearly scored with his first, Kivrak pawing away a vicious drive on 46 minutes.

Kivrak had pushed aside Sotirios Kyrgiakos’s header from a fifth minute corner.

And he denied Torres and Milan Jovanovic, later in the second half. But his most important save came on 52 minutes when he beat away Cole’s penalty after Lucas had been fouled in the area by Serkan Balci.

And it would have been worse for Liverpool if their otherwise under-employed keeper Pepe Reina hadn’t blocked Umat Bulut’s right-foot shot on 59 minutes.

Debutant Christian Poulsen scored on 73 minutes, but he was offside and was adjudged to have fouled Kivrak.