Atletico have lost their last three league games to place coach Javier Aguirre under pressure and, with his team having opened the Champions League group with successive wins, his line-up was selected with the weekend trip to Villarreal in mind.

Benitez reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation as Dirk Kuyt, two-goal hero from Saturday’s win over Wigan Athletic took a deserved breather on the bench alongside Jermaine Pennant as Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun stepped in.

It meant Keane was asked to plough a lone furrow as a direct replacement for Torres, and the Spaniard was no doubt nodding in approval back in England at his colleague’s 14th-minute opener.

Gerrard was the architect, the skipper’s slide-rule pass allowing Keane to narrowly beat the Atletico offside trap, advance on goal and send an accomplished finish beyond goalkeeper Leo Franco.

Keane should have had a second shortly afterwards. Again Gerrard was the creator with a cross to the near post, only for the Republic of Ireland international to attempt an elaborate flick when a simple side-foot was required, and ended up embarrassingly missing the ball completely.

Albert Riera, one of five players in the Liverpool starting line-up with La Liga experience, was rightly booked for diving for seeking a penalty from an Antonio Lopez challenge, the winger’s decision to fall made to look all the more daft because the Atletico man could easily have been adjudged to have fouled anyway.

Liverpool were good value for their lead, and another close offside call went against Benitez’s men shortly after the interval when Benayoun was flagged when converting another incisive Gerrard through-ball.

The Israeli should have done better when collected Mascherano’s pass and elected to try and walk the ball home instead of shooting.

And with Argentine wonder-kid Sergio Aguero making an immediate impact as a second-half substitute, Atletico roared back into proceedings, determined to make Liverpool pay for their missed chances.

The home side could rightly feel aggrieved when Maniche was given offside when converting a Forlan pass in the 56th minute, and Liverpool were grateful to a fine save from Pepe Reina 60 seconds later, the goalkeeper diving at full stretch to his left to turn Simao’s shot against the inside of the post before collecting the rebound.

Alonso thrashed a shot from range that Franco needed to turn behind for a corner as the visitors attempted to reassert their control. But Atletico were level seven minutes from time when Jamie Carragher misjudged a long ball and allowed Forlan to find Simao, the unmarked winger scoring from an angled drive.

Reina saved well from a near-post Miguel volley as the home team pressed for a winner while, at the other end, Ryan Babel flashed a diving header just wide from fellow substitute Kuyt’s cross.

By then Liverpool were happy to settle for a point. After all, a more pressing engagement awaits this weekend.