Having again been roundly criticised for their inability to defend set-pieces following Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City, it was the turn of Benitez’s side to capitalise on a dead-ball situation.

Javier Mascherano fed a short corner to Fabio Aurelio, whose cross to the far post was headed back across goal by Carragher where Ngog reacted quickest to poke the ball home via the woodwork. Debrecen’s defence simply stood and watched.

The Hungarians had yet to even register a point in Group E, and on their subsequent dismal first-half showing it was easy to see why.

Dirk Kuyt was close to connecting with a diving header from Steven Gerrard’s right-wing cross, while an ambitious Aurelio effort swerved wide of the target.

Liverpool, though, lacked the required threat to further punish the hosts. And when news filtered through of Vargas putting Fiorentina ahead midway through the half, an air of resignation descended upon the travelling support.

Ngog kept Debrecen goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic busy with a brace of efforts, the latter from the edge of the area which solicited a decent parry clear.

Emiliano Insua flashed a shot wide moments after the interval as the second half continued in the same manner with Liverpool pressing without any genuine conviction.

Gerrard was denied by a block from Marcell Fodor and then drew a good save from Poleksic, before Lucas Leiva sent an inviting header wide from Kuyt’s right-wing cross.

Johnson was put in a spot of bother by some dangerously loose play by Insua outside the area, with the ball breaking down the other end for Kuyt to flash an angled effort over.

A clearly bored Daniel Agger, Liverpool’s stellar performer, then sauntered out of defence and threatened to take on the entire Debrecen team before teeing up Gerrard for a shot that flashed wide.

Carragher headed wide before Debrecen finally made Pepe Reina work in the 81st minute when the keeper palmed over a speculative effort from Gergely Rudolf.

And Debrecen almost rubbed salt into Liverpool’s gaping wound during injury time but substitute Adamo Coulibaly struck straight at Reina, although in the end it wouldn’t have made any difference.

“We’re the greatest team in Europe and we’re going to Germany,” sang the Liverpool supporters, thoughts already turning to the Europa League final in Hamburg in May.

Their team may have lost their Champions League place, but the fans haven’t lost their sense of humour.