It was a disastrous 90 seconds in the first half against the Greek Cup winners that led to their shock first-round, first-leg loss at the Panthessaliko Stadium in Volos.

Former Everton misfit Ibrahima Bakayoko fired Larissa in front with a 30-yard drive which took a deflection off captain Ryan Nelsen before looping over goalkeeper Brad Friedel.

Worse was to follow almost instantly as an underhit back pass from Brett Emerton sparked a chain of events inside the Rovers' area that ultimately led to Brazilian striker Cleyton curling home the second.

Larissa, playing 40 miles away from their home Alkazar Stadium as it does not conform to UEFA standards, had chances throughout the second half to put the tie beyond reach.

The fact it is not is down to Friedel and some last-ditch defending from his defenders.

Hughes, though, was left bemused by the display coming just five days after their superb goalless draw at Chelsea.

It was the Blues who were the last team to beat Blackburn in mid-April, and Hughes said: "We are disappointed with the level of performance and product this evening, and we are a better team than that.

"It was not a performance we were expecting, in particular after our excellent run of 15 games unbeaten.

"Up until now we have shown great quality and great energy, but they were missing tonight.

"I'm sure at the weekend (at home to Portsmouth on Sunday) our performance will be a lot better, but tonight is a mystery to us."

Hughes knows his side now face a mountainous task to reach the group stages, but then the flipside is that this result could have been so much worse.

"We have made it very difficult for ourselves," conceded Hughes.

"The one positive that we have is the defeat could have been greater, so at 2-0 we are still very much in the tie and it will be a different Blackburn at Ewood Park.

"Tonight we had too many players that didn't hit their levels, but that will change."

It is almost certain that Hughes will be without Nelsen after the centre-back limped off just before the hour mark.

"It's the same hamstring he had the operation on," confirmed Hughes.

"It's a little bit of scar tissue that has released itself, which in the long term he will be better for.

"But in the short term he is likely to miss three or four games."

The defeat was masterminded by former Blackburn defender and the Larissa manager George Donis.

Donis made nine signings during the summer, including Bakayoko, who scored just four goals in 23 appearances for Everton following a £4.5million move from Montpellier in October 1998.

Remarkably, two of those goals came in a 2-1 defeat for Blackburn in March 1999, a result that helped relegate them from the Premier League.

Praising Bakayoko, Donis said: "Even I didn't prove a lot in English football, but then you don't often have the chance to do it.

"But in the past few years a lot has changed, and as far as I am concerned he is now a very good player, who is doing well in his career."

Donis, however, knows the tie should be beyond Blackburn's reach adding: "I am happy with the game and the result, but not the score.

"We had many chances and right now we could be talking a lot differently.

"We are expecting a hard game at Ewood Park and we know there will be a lot of pressure, but for now we should just enjoy this."