Maybe Liverpool really do need to come from behind to succeed. Rafael Benítez could rightly bemoan some poor decisions from the officials, even if they did benefit from one or two poor ones themselves, but in the end their failure to see off Atlético Madrid at the Vicente Calderón Stadium last night and all but secure a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League was their own fault.

Of course, a draw in this arena is no disgrace and victory against Atlético at Anfield in 12 days’ time should be enough to guarantee Liverpool’s progress, but if the second half was anything to go by, they will be in for a fight.

Other than Simão firing just wide, Atlético had been virtually anonymous during the first 45 minutes, granting Liverpool far too much space and allowing them to dictate the tempo. That changed in the second period when Liverpool were left to rue their own profligacy, the selective myopia of Claus Bo Larsen, the referee, and a dodgy linesman’s flag.

Benítez’s team should have been 3-0 up and out of sight by the time Simão equalised with seven minutes remaining, claiming the goal that his stupendous efforts down Atlético’s left flank deserved.

Atlético could also point a finger at the officials — Maniche was denied a perfectly legitimate goal shortly before the hour when judged offside — but by then it should not have mattered.

Despite claiming only his second Liverpool goal, in the fourteenth minute, Robbie Keane was guilty of a poor miss from eight yards out soon after. Then, with six minutes of the first half left, Larsen somehow contrived to book Albert Riera for diving when the Spain winger had clearly been tripped by Antonio López, the Atlético captain. Ryan Babel also headed a fine chance wide in the second half from Dirk Kuyt, a substitute.

Perhaps sensing that they had got away with blue murder, Atlético composed themselves and were an entirely different proposition during an occasionally pulsating second period, even though the game might have been beyond them had an assistant referee not wrongly flagged Yossi Benayoun offside in the 49th minute. It was a marginal decision, but Benayoun was level with his marker when played through by Javier Mascherano to score.

Still, Liverpool were fortunate in other ways. Simão had seen a shot brilliantly tipped on to a post by José Manuel Reina, the Liverpool goalkeeper impressing in front of his father, Miguel, who used to keep for Atlético, but from an almost identical position on the corner of the 18-yard box, the Portuguese scored. How Benitez must regret not signing the winger.

It should have been prevented. Jamie Carragher appeared to hesitate in attempting to deal with a long punt upfield, Álvaro Arbeloa went across in a disastrous effort to help, allowing Diego Forlán to pick out Simão, who made no mistake.

Liverpool’s old boys were unimpressive, Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Luis García both struggling to get into the game, and Atlético were far better when the lively Sergio Agüero replaced García at the start of the second half.

Benítez’s decision to deploy Keane as a lone striker and start with Kuyt on the bench with one eye on Sunday’s game away to Chelsea — a wise move given that Keane limped off with a groin injury in the second half — paid immediate dividends.

Steven Gerrard collected the ball about 40 yards from goal and played a pinpoint pass in between Atlético’s central defensive pairing to which Keane was immediately alert. The former Tottenham Hotspur striker appeared to be marginally offside but showed a cool head to slot the ball at pace into the bottom corner.