Five minutes later, another Insua cross caused panic in the Lyon defence and, after the ball broke off Benayoun, Dirk Kuyt struck an improvised snapshot an acrobatic Lloris palmed over the crossbar.

Liverpool came even closer on 28 minutes. With Voronin screaming for possession, a quick free-kick from the alert Mascherano sent the Ukrainian in on goal. However, as with Torres, the striker fired too near to Lloris who again thrust out a leg to save.

Given the high stakes, it was an opportunity Liverpool could ill afford to spurn. No wonder Voronin has netted just six times in 40 appearances for the club.

Lyon threatened only sporadically and were limited to long-range efforts, the best of which from Bafetimbi Gomis was safely fielded by Pepe Reina.

To be fair, the home side’s cause was not helped by injuries that forced both Anthony Reveillere and Miralem Pjanic to be substituted before the break.

But they started the second half stronger, and after substitute Ederson volleyed an Aly Cissokho cross well over, an opening from the same source was headed narrowly off target by Michel Bastros.

With Torres labouring, Benitez threw on Babel in place of Voronin midway through the half, and within seconds Liverpool again came close to taking the lead.

After a spell of sustained pressure, the ball fell to Lucas on the far post only for his shot to be parried by the right hand of Lloris back into the danger zone. It fell to Kuyt, whose acrobatic overhead kick was cleared off the line by Cissokho.

There was a lucky escape at the other end shortly afterwards, Kygriakos’s header back too short and grateful Lisandro struck his close-range effort right in Reina’s face.

With Benitez’s side pressing further forward, Lisandro then ended one counter-attack by curling wide before the visitors snatched the lead with seven minutes remaining.

Head tennis in the Liverpool area involving Agger, Carragher and Kyrgiakos ended with Mascherano eventually clearing to Lucas, who instantly fed Benayoun down the right.

The Israeli then centred for Babel, and the Dutchman stepped away from one defender then unleashed a stupendous 25-yard drive that not even Lloris could stop as it arrowed into the top corner.

Babel almost scored a second moments later, but Lyon equalised in the final minute when the ball broke fortuitously inside the area for Lisandro, who struck home beyond Reina from 10 yards with Liverpool complaining Bastos had been offside in the build-up to the goal.

The travelling supporters who made the point of chanting Benitez’s name after the final whistle will hope that goal doesn’t prove a turning point in his Anfield reign.