Roused by a typically stirring Kop rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone, Benitez’s men took only eight seconds to create their first chance, Daniel Agger’s long ball flicked on by Kuyt for Benayoun to chase, the Israeli’s near-post effort turned behind by the feet of de Gea.

A scintillating passing movement should having been capped by the opener a quarter-of-an-hour later. Aquilani, Kuyt and Steven Gerrard painted one-touch patterns around the Atletico penalty area before Gerrard released Mascherano down the right to deliver a low cross that was directed over by the sliding Kuyt from barely six yards.

Liverpool thought they had found a way through just past the half-hour when Agger headed home Gerrard’s free-kick from the right, only for the Dane’s celebrations to be rightly cut short by an offside flag.

Atletico, though, were always threatening. Raul Garcia capitalised on some slack Liverpool marking to thrash a 25-yard shot that Pepe Reina was compelled to shovel behind before their best first-half opening on 28 minutes.

A fine pass by Reyes released Aguero behind Jamie Carragher down the inside left channel but, after Reina had done well to usher the Argentine wide, his eventual cross into the box was easily cleared.

With Aquilani’s goal having levelled the tie on aggregate, Liverpool should have approached the second half with a greater degree of patience and confidence.

But it was Atletico who grew in stature, although with Liverpool’s defence holding a strong, resilient line, the visitors’ only efforts of note came from Garcia shots from range that were high, wide and not very handsome.

Johnson rarely ventured beyond the halfway line, but one foray forward on 81 minutes ended with a dipping shot that was palmed over by de Gea.

Liverpool went ahead for the first time in the tie five minutes into extra time. With the Atletico defence parked on the edge of their own area, a delightful lofted pass by Lucas Leiva found Benayoun inside the area whose angled shot went through de Gea.

Atletico responded by bringing on another forward in Jose Manuel Jurado, and after a Reyes shot troubled Reina, the substitute was only inches wide with a curling effort.

But the visitors got their goal on 103 minutes, Reyes beating Johnson to a bouncing ball and crossing with the outside of his foot for Forlan to head home in front of the Kop.

That was that. Simao clipped over as Atletico sought to kill the tie with a demoralised Liverpool unable to respond.

Throughout last night’s game, a magpie pottered around the pitch in front of the Kop. But if it was seeking any silverware, it will need to come back next year.

Whether it would encounter Benitez remains to be seen.