Owen hat-trick secures Liverpool win

Striker Michael Owen scored a hat-trick to give Liverpool a battling 3-1 Group B victory at Spartak Moscow on Tuesday and maintain the English side's chances of reaching the second stage of the Champions League.

Liverpool conceded their first goal in five games -- Spartak's first in four Champions League matches -- when 18-year-old Aleksandr Danishevski took advantage of some slack marking to shoot past Jerzy Dudek in the 23rd minute

Gerard Houllier's team, newly installed as English premier league leaders last weekend, equalised six minutes later when Owen headed home a Jamie Carragher cross.

He scrambled in the all-important second in the 70th minute and completed his hat-trick after a great team move in the last minute.

The win gives Liverpool seven points from four games. Basel have four with Valencia leading the way on nine. The two meet later on Tuesday in Switzerland. Spartak remain without a point.