Liverpool booked their place in the Champions League quarter finals with a 2-1 aggregate win over Inter Milan.
The visitors reduced their deficit in the tie shortly after the hour mark as Lautaro Martinez unleashed a stunning long-range effort to beat Alisson.
But the Italian champions were reduced to 10 men shortly afterwards when Alexis Sanchez received a red card for a second yellow card after fouling Fabinho.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
An unfamiliar European night
This was not a quintessential Champions League evening for Liverpool.
Anfield still brought its usual tapestry of banners, flags and songs, yet the mood was more fraught than the unbridled defiance usually witnessed here.
Jurgen Klopp insisted that his side would not be caught sitting back on their two-goal advantage at the midway stage of this Round of 16 encounter.
They still reached the quarter finals of Europe’s elite club competition but not without a scare as Inter Milan worked them for that eventually safe passage.
From the outset, the visitors threw everything in their locker at the Reds, who struggled to return the favour for significant periods of this showdown.
Lautaro Martinez’s thunderbolt midway through the second half felt almost inevitable as the defending Italian champions’ pressure finally began to tell.
Liverpool will not have many off nights but this one will serve as an added motivation to Klopp and his team to not see it repeated anytime soon.
Thiago restores midfield order
Despite their recent winning run, Liverpool have missed Thiago Alcantara.
Since the Spain international sat tearfully on the sidelines moments before the Carabao Cup final, the loss of his created drive had become painfully evident.
Thiago’s absence at Wembley, after suffering a hip problem in the warm-up, allowed Chelsea to enjoy a greater control of midfield during the showpiece.
Back-to-back home matches against Norwich City and West Ham, too, were crying out for the 30-year-old’s calming influence in the middle of the park.
Inter’s visit heralded not only Thiago’s return to the fold but also his side’s ability to press at their usual standard while creating chances downfield.
Haring at the ball almost came at a cost, however, as he avoided serious injury from Alexis Sanchez’s full-blooded challenge on the stroke of half-time.
That he was on the receiving end, instead of inflicting such a reckless tackle shows how far Thiago’s game has evolved in just 12 months at Anfield.
Reds channel spirit of 2001
It is just over two decades since Anfield fulfilled its entire fixture list and toasted a hat-trick of silverware in addition to a coveted top-four finish.
Inter’s performance evoked memories of that memorable 2000/01 campaign, when another Serie A giant attempted to overturn their own two-goal deficit.
Simeone Inzaghi’s side may be a different prospect to Roma, who failed to undo the damage Liverpool inflicted in the first leg of their UEFA Cup clash.
But parallels between the two performances remain striking as the Carabao Cup holders continue to chase down an unprecedented quadruple this term.
Klopp will doubtless be more preoccupied by the loss of a 12-game unbeaten run than heightened talk of claiming English football’s most unachievable aim.
Equally, Liverpool’s ability to fight on multiple fronts this late in the season cannot be taken lightly with each passing game they continue to maintain it.
Channelling the spirit of 2001 suggests there may be more than just one piece of silverware taking up residence in the Anfield trophy cabinets soon.