There had been a thought that Crouch, a player who struggled in front of goal last season when his confidence was low, might return to his shell after a lengthy spell after four straight games as a substitute, but it had dissipated long before the 6foot 7inch forward leapt horizontally at the back-post to smash Steve Finnan's cross into the corner.

His partnership with Dirk Kuyt, a 10 million pounds summer signing from Feyenoord, seemed as natural as if they had played together for years.

The only puzzle was why Rafa Benitez had never tried pairing the before. Liverpool's opener came in the ninth minute but had sounced an even earlier warning.

Luis Garcia, cutting in from the left after Crouch had delivered a Kuyt knockdown into his path, forced Colombian goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon into an awkward parry as early as the fifth minute as Liverpool mounted the sort of early onslaught that did for Juventus two seasons ago.

Perhaps, having failed to score a European goal in 11 months, they recognised the psychological dangers in failing to strike early and allowing Galatasaray a foothold in the game.

When it came, the left flank was again the source as Steven Gerrard, restored to his central role, spread the ball wide, Fabio Aurelio arced in a superb cross, and Crouch was there to extend a long leg and sidefoot the ball home.

With former Liverpool central defender Rigobert Song and Stjepan Tomas looking uncomfortable in the air, it seemed only a matter of time before the second arrived, and sure enough it came five minutes after the first.

A horribly sliced clearance fell for Jermaine Pennant, who darted into the box, and chipped a clever cross over Mondragon at the near post for an untended Garcia to nod in at the far.

There could hardly have been a better riposte to those who have criticised Benitez's rotation policy this season: none of the four players who scored or made the assists for the opening two goals had started the 3-0 win over Tottenham on Saturday. And then, seven minutes into the second half came the goal for which this game will always be remembered, Crouch defying the memories of his gangling awkwardness to thrash in a bicycle kick of such quality that there was a perceptible silence before the roar as Anfield took a collective breath.

Including England matches, he has now failed to score in just one of the games he has begun this season, taking his tally to a scarcely credible 10 in eight starts.

If that defied logic, it was nothing to what followed. Veteran Turkish international striker Hakan Sukur and Kuyt both hit the post, before Umit Karan struck twice in five minutes, on both occasions finding far too much space between Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger.

If there were nerves around Anfield when he glanced Arda Turan's left-wing cross past Jose Reina after 59 minutes, there was full-on panic when he thumped in a right-wing delivery from Sabri Sarioglu on 64.

Sasa Ilic dragged a volley wide when well-placed and Sukur headed a half-chance straight at Reina, but for all the edginess, the arrival of Momo Sissoko in central midfield steadied matters and Galatasaray never created the clear-cut chance that might have given them a remarkable point.

Wednesday's results
Group A

Werder Bremen (GER) 1 (Puyol 56-og) Barcelona (ESP) 1 (Messi 89)

Levski Sofia (BUL) 1 (Ognyanov 89) Chelsea (ENG) 3 (D Drogba 39, 52, 68)

Group B

Spartak Moscow (RUS) 1 (Boyarintsev 5) Sporting Lisbon (POR) 1 (Nani 59)

Inter Milan (ITA) 0 Bayern Munich (GER) 2 (Pizarro 81, Podolski 90)

Group C

Liverpool (ENG) 3 (Crouch 9, 52, Luis Garcia 14) Galatasaray 2 (Umit 59, 65)

Bordeaux (FRA) 0 PSV Eindhoven (NED) 1 (Vayrynen 65)

Group D

Valencia (ESP) 2 (Angulo 12, Villa 29) AS Roma (ITA) 1 (Totti 19-pen)

Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) 2 (Hubschman 34, Marica 70) Olympiakos (GRE) 2 (Konstantinou 24, Castillo 68)