Liverpool breathed life into their qualification hopes with a record breaking display in the thumping 8-0 victory over Besiktas in their Champions League clash on Tuesday.

Yossi Benayoun scored a brilliant hat trick while Peter Crouch and Ryan Babel bagged two each and Steven Gerrard popped one as Liverpool chalked up a sensational second half display to score six goals in 35 minutes to grab a much needed victory in order to keep their Champions League hopes alive.

It was Liverpool all the way as the hosts pressed forward in search of goals and were duly rewarded in the 19th minute when Crouch was played in by a great through ball by Voronin and though keeper Hakan Arikan managed to block the English striker's first attempt, he watched helplessly as Crouch slotted home the first goal of the night on the rebound.

Liverpool doubled the lead in the 32nd minute when Riise released Voronin with a quick throw in and the striker found Benayoun with a perfect cross and the Israeli midfielder made no mistake to slot home his first goal of the night.

The hosts came out all guns blazing in the second half as Benayoun completed his hat trick with two goals in three minutes, twice pouncing on half cleared blocks by Arikan. Gerrard joined the party in the 69th minute with a stinging drive past Arikan to score Liverpool's fifth goal of the night.

Substitute Ryan Babel then came off the bench to slam home two goals in three minutes as he first beat Arikan with a back heel shot and then deflected Ibrahim Uzulmez's clearance into the goal. Liverpool bagged the eighth goal of the night a minute before the final whistle when Crouch headed home Benayoun's cross to complete the rout over Besitkas.