Liverpool finish as they had begun

SOCCER UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Liverpool 1 Fiorentina 2LIVERPOOL BADE a suitably funereal farewell to the Champions League on a night when the positives for Rafael Benitez, typically, arrived too late for redemption among the European elite.

A rerun of Lyon’s last-gasp victory here in October condemned Liverpool to two consecutive home defeats in Europe for the first time, an ignominious end to an embarrassing campaign.

Alberto Aquilani’s full debut four months after his €23 million arrival from Roma, Fernando Torres’s return from the hernia that contributed to the rut in fortunes and the late introduction of Daniel Pacheco, the most exciting graduate of the club’s often maligned youth system, offered promise. But one more breakaway goal in the Champions League, Alberto Gilardino converting Juan Vargas’s cross after the substitute had torn away from debutant Stephen Darby, was decisive.

Despite the lack of incentive for Liverpool there remained familiarity to their team, with only Jose Reina, Jamie Carragher, Glen Johnson and Lucas Leiva deemed in need of a rest ahead of Arsenal’s visit.

A first start for Stephen Darby, the homegrown former reserve-team captain, was another welcome sight if not the debut Anfield had come to dissect.

Having kissed and hugged almost every member of the opposition before kick-off, Aquilani demonstrated he can bring more adventure to Liverpool without touching the ball. The midfielder’s first act after the opening whistle was to move 10 metres in front of Javier Mascherano, who has been accustomed to forming a double bolt with Lucas Leiva this season, and no doubt Steven Gerrard will relish the extra support over time.

Benitez envisaged a midfield line of Mascherano-Aquilani-Gerrard as the solution to the seven Anfield draws that arguably cost Liverpool the title last season, although that was before the true extent of the Italian’s recuperation period became known. His first touches against Fiorentina must have heightened the manager’s regret at the delay.

Instinctive and, more importantly, accurate passes indicated why Benitez hand-picked Aquilani to replace Xabi Alonso once Real Madrid met the €33 million asking price. A back-heel while in full stride to Gerrard drew rapturous applause from the Kop although there was evidence of tiredness when the Italy international repeated the trick but found only Per Kroldrup, and then compounded the error by allowing the former Everton defender to stroll past him into the Liverpool area.

Aquilani helped bring greater urgency and movement to the Liverpool attack before unsurprisingly fading after eight months without a competitive start. The promise will have to suffice for now but it also helped sate an impressive 40,863 crowd, given the circumstances, to depart ahead at the interval.

Liverpool had survived several scares in the first half, notably when reserve goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri saved well from Lorenzo De Silvestri and Riccardo Montolivo, both from successive Martin Jorgensen corners, and when the latter sliced over from Alberto Gilardino’s inviting cutback.

The lead arrived courtesy of the incisiveness Fiorentina lacked, Yossi Benayoun getting the faintest flick on a Gerrard free-kick and glancing a header in off Sebastien Frey’s far post in the 43rd minute.

Mascherano’s energy underpinned a dominant start to the second half by Liverpool. The visitors were forced into several last-ditch clearances as Benitez’s side began to prosper from the flanks and Daniel Agger was millimetres from converting another dangerous free-kick by Gerrard.

The Liverpool manager increased the surprising feelgood factor when he summoned Torres from his stretching exercises. Before the final instructions had been relayed, however, Fiorentina caught Liverpool cold on the break to level. Gianluca Comotto instigated the attack from right-back, Gilardino slipped the ball behind an exposed home defence and Jorgensen found his accuracy when it was needed most to shoot low beyond Cavalieri into the far corner. Benitez spun away from Torres’s ear in disgust at the lapse, but his misery was not yet over.

GuardianService

LIVERPOOL: Cavalieri, Darby, Skrtel, Agger, Insua, Aquilani (Pacheco 76), Mascherano (Aurelio 86), Benayoun, Gerrard, Dossena, Kuyt (Torres 65). Subs not used: Reina, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Spearing.

FIORENTINA: Frey, Comotto, Natali, Kroldrup, Pasqual, De Silvestri (Castillo 83), Montolivo, Donadel, Jorgensen (Vargas 71), Santana (Marchionni 71), Gilardino. Subs not used: Avramov, Seculin, Aya, Carraro. Booked: Montolivo, Gilardino.

Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia).