After expertly controlling Alex’s airborne clearance, Dirk Kuyt produced an even better reverse pass to set Alvaro Arbeloa free down the right.

The Spaniard then picked out unmarked compatriot Torres for a clinical finish beyond Petr Cech.

Liverpool, though, were indebted to Reina barely 60 seconds later when Salomon Kalou caught Lucas in possession and sent Drogba clean through only for the Ivorian to shoot straight in the midriff of the home goalkeeper.

That was a warning of what was to come.

Curiously, Chelsea reacted the more positive to the early goal, Drogba missing another glorious chance after being fed by Michael Ballack by smashing miles over from eight yards when a simple finish would have surely sufficed.

In between, there was an indication of how little time there was on the ball when Torres robbed a dawdling Frank Lampard but curled his effort narrowly over.

But Chelsea grabbed a deserved equaliser six minutes before the interval when Ivanovic timed his run to lose his markers and head home Malouda’s corner from the right.

Kuyt should have restored Liverpool’s advantage immediately when his low shot was blocked by Cech’s legs, but the away goal muted the atmosphere among the previously vibrant home support.

Worryingly for Liverpool, the confidence then seeped from their play.

Drogba missed another sitter seven minutes into the second half, although Carragher produced heroics to clear the Chelsea man’s effort off the line after Fabio Aurelio’s slack pass had caused problems in the Liverpool defence.

And the home side showed they had learned nothing from the first half when Ivanovic headed Chelsea in front of 62 minutes, again unmarked to meet Lampard’s delivery.

Five minutes later it was 3-1, Drogba finally getting his goal by turning in Malouda’s cross from the right.

“I think it’s only a coincidence, we will change this,” said Benitez when told the team drawn at home in the first leg of the three previous Champions League encounters against Chelsea had been eliminated.

Liverpool now have no other choice if they are to stay on the road to Rome.