Cisse's first-half goal and a late strike from Euro 2004 top scorer Baros ensured that Rafael Benitez's team opened up in Group A with a comfortable victory against last season's beaten finalists.

"You can't ask for more than a win and a clean sheet on your first game back in the Champions League, but we could have scored more," said Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard.

"We played some nice football and everything worked well. Djibril's goal was something we have worked on during training, so it was pleasing to see that go in."

Monaco coach Didier Deschamps admitted his side were overshadowed by Liverpool.

"It is never good to lose, but Liverpool is not an easy place to play, so it is no shock to lose at Anfield," said Deschamps.

"But we just couldn't get into the game and we lost out in all areas to Liverpool."

With only five survivors in their line-up from last season's final defeat against Porto in Gelsenkirchen, Monaco had been expected to find life much tougher among Europe's elite this term.

But Deschamps's team made the brighter start against a Liverpool team making their 100th appearance in Europe's premier club competition.

Sierra Leone forward Mohamed Kallon almost gave the French club the lead inside the opening three minutes when he narrowly failed to score with an audacious shot from 45 yards.

Kallon had spotted Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek on the edge of his penalty area and the striker's long-range effort was only inches away from embarrassing the Polish international.

Swedish midfielder Pontus Farnerud then went close on 11 minutes when he fired a right-foot strike over the crossbar from 20 yards.

Liverpool gradually found their feet as the first-half wore on, however, and the Spanish forward Luis Garcia had the first effort on goal for the home side when he flashed a 20-yard strike wide on 17 minutes.

Garcia, who scored against West Bromwich Albion on his home debut at the weekend, was then at heart of Cisse's goal which opened the scoring four minutes later.

The 6million pounds signing from Barcelona linked up with Xabi Alonso before working a one-two with Steven Gerrard on the edge of the Monaco penalty area.

Gerrard then threaded the ball through to Cisse, who sprung the Monaco offside trap before firing an unstoppable right-foot strike past goalkeeper Roma from 12 yards.

Monaco's early dominance had by now subsided and Liverpool looked the team most likely to score again and Australian winger Harry Kewell was unfortunate not to make it 2-0 when his volley from Garcia's throughball was blocked by Roma's legs.

Kewell raised his game another notch after the interval and he sent a sidefoot volley over the bar from Jon-Arne Riise's corner early in the second half.

Moments later, former Leeds United man Kewell released Cisse with a defence-splitting pass that handed the French forward a golden opportunity to score his second goal.

However, with only Roma to beat, Cisse aimed his shot straight at the goalkeeper's legs to let Monaco off the hook.

Liverpool's failure to score the elusive second goal kept Monaco's hopes alive and Deschamps's team upped their efforts to score an equaliser in the closing stages.

Striker Emmanuel Adebayor went closest to levelling when he outjumped the Liverpool defence to head Kallon's corner goalwards on 72 minutes, but Dudek reacted well to save.

Garcia should have made the game safe for Rafael Benitez's team eight minutes from time when he was teed up by Steve Finnan's downward header.

Despite receiving the ball six yards from goal, though, Garcia inexplicably aimed his volley wide of the post.

Substitute Baros finally rewarded Liverpool's dominance three minutes later, however, when he converted Josemi's long pass to make it 2-0.

The Czech Republic forward was forced to round goalkeeper Roma twice before firing into the net from a tight angle three yards out.