Liverpool all-but guaranteed their place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals with a superb 3-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in Holland.
Captain Steven Gerrard again proved to be the catalyst for The Reds as he became the club's all-time leading scorer in the European Cup with 15 goals, surpassing Ian Rush's record with a fine header in this quarter-final, first leg tie.
Both John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch joined their skipper on the scoresheet after the break as Rafa Benitez's side dominated possession and dictated the course of the tie throughout the 90 minutes at Philips Stadion.
PSV coach Ronald Koeman had been hailed as a tormentor of English sides - having been the only other manager along with Jose Mourinho to beat Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool in the past 18 months - but his side showed little endeavour in a stale performance in Eindhoven.
On this evidence, the Dutch club scoring four goals at Anfield to win the tie seems as likely as Steve McClaren receiving a knighthood.
Mika Vayrynen threatened early on for PSV as he fired a shot over the bar after a one-two with Jefferson Farfan, but Liverpool were largely untroubled in a comfortable opening for the English side.
On 16 minutes The Reds had their first sight at goal when Riise - deployed in front of Fabio Aurelio on the left wing - saw a volley deflected wide, and from the resultant corner Liverpool almost took the lead.
Gerrard's set-piece was met by a strong header from Jamie Carragher - setting a record for the most European Cup appearances for the club - but PSV keeper Heurelho Gomes was equal to the task and produced a fine diving stop.
Peter Crouch, hat-trick hero from Saturday's win over Arsenal, also sent a shot over the bar whilst PSV saw left-back Carlos Salcido fail to trouble Reina from range.
Benitez's men were almost undone when Vayryen's shot from a cross from former Red Jan Kromkamp was inadvertently deflected over the bar by Carragher - with Philip Cocu heading just wide from the corner - but just four minutes later Gerrard claimed an important away goal.
Dirk Kuyt was forced to duck out of the way as the skipper came charging into the box to meet Steve Finnan's cross, and Gomes could not repeat his earlier heroics as Gerrard powered a header past the keeper and into the left-hand side of the goal.
The goal could have drawn PSV out of their defensive shell, but the game remained a tight affair and Liverpool entered half-time with a one-goal lead that their efforts had merited.
PSV's hopes of finding an equaliser suffered a blow when Farfan failed to reappear after the break, with Chinese international Xiang Sun taking his place, and Liverpool retained the momentum as Xabi Alonso threatened twice in the first two minutes of the half.
The sense that the tie was very much there for the taking was given further credence when Liverpool claimed their second after a poor clearance from under-pressure defender Timmy Simons.
Riise was lurking on the edge of the box and needed no second invitation to chest the ball down and unleash a trademark thunderous drive that flew past the despairing Gomes to give Liverpool a formidable advantage in Holland.
The Norwegian international could have had another when Gomes only just managed to recover after dropping a routine cross, whilst the ever-inventive Alonso tried his luck from substantially further out as his floating 45 yard effort drifted wide.
In what was rapidly becoming a rather facile outing for Liverpool, Crouch added a telling third when he rose highest to meet Finnan's cross and placed a fine header past Gomes, who was now past despairing and into the realms of distraught.
Koeman's side had a brief flicker of hope when Reina's fingertips diverted a cross into the path of Salcido, but the Mexican's rushed shot flew well wide in a moment that epitomised PSV's poor performance.
Liverpool's almost perfect night suffered a blow when Fabio Aurelio had to be stretchered off due to injury, with Mark Gonzalez taking his place, and Crouch also earned a rapturous reception when Jermaine Pennant was afforded a run-out.
Chilean winger Gonzalez aimed two long-range efforts at goal as Liverpool played out the final ten minutes with ease, although substitute Csaba Feher did call Reina into action at his near post.
In injury time, Kuyt also picked up a yellow card which rules him out of what should be a routine second leg at Anfield.
After three games against PSV this season Liverpool are yet to lose, and unless that trend is reversed in emphatic fashion in two weeks, the men from Merseyside could now be on track for a semi-final meeting with Premiership rivals Chelsea.
PSV Eindhoven v Liverpool player ratings.
The first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals were played out on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Of the three English teams remaining in the competition, only one was able to earn themselves a win in the first leg, that being Liverpool.  Draws occurred in the Chelsea/Valencia and Milan/Bayern games, while Manchester United lost on the road in Rome.