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Reds sign off with defeat
22:45, Dec 9 2009
Liverpool's Champions League campaign ended with a whimper rather than a bang as they lost their final Group E encounter 2-1 at home to Fiorentina.
Yossi Benayoun's glancing header gave his side the lead shortly before half-time only for Martin Jorgensen to equalise with a low left-footed shot in the 63rd minute and Alberto Gilardino to snatch a winner two minutes into added time.
With the Reds having already failed to qualify for the knockout stages the only positives from a lacklustre encounter were a 76-minute run-out for Alberto Aquilani and the return from injury of striker Fernando Torres after a five-match absence. Liverpool's second-choice goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri was soon into action as he raced from his line to block Cesare Natali's run onto a weak Daniel Agger back pass.
Aquilani was neat and inventive, but Liverpool failed to create anything significant before their Brazilian goalkeeper saved well from Lorenzo De Silvestri and Riccardo Montolivo to keep his side on level terms.
The game, sometimes with almost a testimonial feel about it, meandered on towards the break before Liverpool found themselves ahead after 43 minutes.
Manuel Pasqual's foul on Steven Gerrard gave the Liverpool captain the chance to lift a free-kick towards the near post for Benayoun to flick a header back into the far corner, despite Sebastien Frey getting a touch on the effort.
Liverpool dominated the early stages after the break, but were punished for poor judgement by Martin Skrtel, who allowed a cross-field pass to drift past him. Stephen Darby was left facing two attackers, and could do little to stop captainJorgensen driving home the equaliser after 63 minutes.
Torres came on and impressed with some fine runs, while there had also been occasional glimpses of Aquilani's talent, but he was taken off to give reserve striker Daniel Pacheco his debut. The 18-year-old is rated very highly by Benitez, and joined Torres in an all-Spanish front pairing.
Fabio Aurelio replaced the hard-working Javier Mascherano near the end, with Fiorentina searching for the crucial winner that would win the group. And It arrived in added time and left Liverpool with their worst-ever Champions League group points tally.
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