Liverpool's Jamie Carragher (centre) reacts to his team's 2-0 win against Inter Milan during their Champion's League round-of-16 match at Anfield yesterday. - AP

LONDON (AP):

LIVERPOOL, AS Roma and Schalke each made good use of home-field advantage yesterday, winning their matches in the first leg of the Champions League's second round.

Chelsea, however, were held to a 0-0 draw at Olympiakos.

Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard scored late goals to give Liverpool a 2-0 win over 10-man Inter Milan, while Roma rallied to beat Real Madrid 2-1 and Schalke defeated FC Porto 1-0. Inter played with 10 men for 60 minutes after Marco Materazzi was sent off for two yellow cards, but it took until the 85th for Kuyt to score with a volley. Gerrard made it 2-0 in the 90th with a long-range shot that went underneath Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

Liverpool substitute Jermaine Pennant set up both goals.

Patience

"We're not going to get carried away," Gerrard said. "They were playing for 0-0 so it was important that we were patient. We kept working them and in the last 10 minutes, we, got our rewards because they were very tired."

The result will help Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, whose job is reportedly on the line after the club fell back in the Premier League title race and lost to lower-league Barnsley on Saturday in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Materazzi looked at referee Frank de Bleeckere in astonishment after he received his second yellow card for pulling Liverpool striker Fernando Torres back by the shoulder. He had also brought down the Spaniard in the 12th. Cesar had to dive to prevent Torres from scoring in the 58th, with Sami Hyypia heading over a minute later. Torres and substitute Peter Crouch also had shots as Liverpool tried to get past the strong Inter defence.

No home wins

Madrid still have not won away from home in the Champions League this season, and the nine-time winners let a 1-0 lead slip in Rome.

The Spanish team went ahead in the eighth minute when Raúl Gonzalez scored his 60th goal in the Champions League.

David Pizarro levelled in the 24th and Brazilian midfielder Amantini Mancini scored the winning goal in the 58th minute off a pass from Roma captain Francesco Totti.

Madrid had won each of their three previous games with Roma at the Stadio Olimpico - the last two by three-goal margins. Roma, meanwhile, have not lost a home game in Europe since falling to Madrid on December 8, 2004, in a match played without fans.

Since then, Roma have compiled 10 wins and four draws at the Stadio Olimpico.

Chelsea had not conceded a goal in their four previous Champions League games, but this time they could not score.

Instead, Olympiakos had one of the best chances of the game when Vassilis Torosidis failed to connect with a header into the goalmouth in the 30th.