A penalty save by Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina denied Belgium's Standard Liege victory in their Champions League third qualifying round first leg match which ended in a 0-0 draw on Wednesday.

Reina saved a poorly taken penalty from Costa Santos Bonfim Dante in the 12th minute after Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena was judged to have handled in the box.

The Belgian champions almost took the lead in the seventh minute when Reina spectacularly clawed the ball off the line after Marouane Fellaini's header rebounded off the post.

Reina said after the game he could not be certain the ball did not cross the line.

"I don't know, I still don't know," he told reporters. "We will have to see it on TV because it's much easier to see. The important thing is we got a result and we have to improve for the second leg."

Liverpool central defenders Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger had to come to their goalkeeper's rescue on at least two occasions in the second half, both clearing off the line from two Igor De Camargo headers.

Much-fancied Liverpool were on the back foot for most of the game and will consider themselves lucky not to be behind going into the second leg at Anfield in two weeks' time.

"They (Standard) played very well and we didn't play to our form. Two weeks from now we will have to reverse that," Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt said.

"We had problems today, but we have no excuse. Standard today proved that we must not underestimate them."

Liege captain Steven Defour said his team were the better side.

"Nil-all is not a bad result. But after the match all I can think is what could have been. But we can still progress," he said.