Graphic: shooting stars

On the eve of this astonishing match, Rafael Benítez evoked a Spanish phrase that, loosely translated, means that a manager is never satisfied. No doubt the perfectionist in him will have found some fault or other in a performance that will have the rest of Europe quaking with fear, but, even for Liverpool’s supporters, who have had more than their share of glory nights in the Champions League in recent years, this devastating result represented something very close to perfection.

Steven Gerrard, who scored twice and was at the heart of everything his team produced, called it “awesome”. That is one word for it. Others are spectacular, coruscating and overwhelming, with Javier Mascherano chasing down opponents, Gerrard driving the team forward and Fernando Torres utterly inspired on his return from injury. With Torres scoring the first goal and Andrea Dossena putting the icing on the cake in the final moments, it was a performance that should go a long way towards earning Benítez the respect that he merits both within Anfield and beyond.

This Real Madrid team may be an embarrassment to the club’s grand traditions, a legacy of mismanagement by successive presidents, but nobody subjects the Spanish champions to this kind of humiliation, at least not since April 1989, when they were thrashed 5-0 in a European Cup semi-final, second leg by the great AC Milan team of Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten. That famous Milan victory was dedicated to Liverpool, or more specifically to the supporters who died in the Hillsborough disaster four days earlier. It is only a small stretch to suggest that the tribute was repaid in one sense last night, given that Arrigo Sacchi, who coached that Milan team, was and remains Benítez’s idol.

It can be of little consolation to Real that this victory was conceived by one of their own, with Benítez spending the formative years of his career, as player and coach, at the Spanish club. With no sign that he is ready to sign a new contract at Liverpool, there is more cause than ever this morning to wonder if Real, having failed to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the fifth successive season, might make him an offer this summer that they feel he cannot refuse, but, on this evidence, it would be an enormous step down to move to Madrid from Merseyside, where he has built a team that competes for the European Cup on an annual basis.

One man who will never have an allegiance to Real is Torres, who, having grown up as a supporter of Atlético Madrid, where he went on to become a talismanic captain at a young age, enjoyed this result more than anyone. His allegiance to Atlético is one reason for that; another is the way that he performed on his return from an ankle injury. He played like a man possessed and would have had a hat-trick had it not been for the heroics of Iker Casillas, who saved Real from humiliation.

Recriminations in Madrid will include unflattering mentions of the referee, Franck de Bleeckere, just as they did in Italy when Inter Milan had Marco Materazzi sent off on this ground by the same official in the same round last season. De Bleeckere did indeed seem to be swayed by a raucous atmosphere, incorrectly awarding a penalty in the 28th minute after the ball struck Gabriel Heinze on the shoulder rather than hand, but Real’s players seemed as cowed by their surroundings, with Arjen Robben, the former Chelsea winger, a picture of inhibition before he made way for Marcelo at half-time.

Fabio Cannavaro, the Real defender, no doubt recalled a similarly chastening evening here with Juventus at the quarter-final stage in 2005, but forewarned is not necessarily forearmed. Four minutes in, the former World Player of the Year was bamboozled by a sumptuous turn from Torres, who saw his shot blocked by the legs of Casillas. From the resulting corner, which was half-cleared, Mascherano struck a left-foot volley that Casillas, at full stretch, somehow pushed on to the crossbar, leaving Liverpool’s players to wonder whether it might be one of those nights.

Torres, though, was never going to accept anything less than a Liverpool victory. Seizing on another mistake from Cannavaro, who allowed an up-and-under from Jamie Carragher to bounce, Torres chased down Pepe, giving him a gentle shove as they raced into the penalty area. As Pepe tumbled to the floor, Dirk Kuyt pulled the ball back to Torres, who shot past Casillas. “Foul,” screamed Real’s players. “Goal,” said De Bleeckere.

The howls of protest from Real increased when the Belgian referee awarded Liverpool a penalty for Heinze’s handball. It was a lousy decision, but Real were almost beyond sympathy by that stage. The one player you had to feel sorry for was Casillas, who was left to retrieve the ball from the net as Gerrard, such a confident penalty-taker these days, made the aggregate score 3-0.

It was slaughter. Two minutes into the second half, Liverpool went farther ahead, Ryan Babel for once choosing the outside route around the full back and cutting the ball back for Gerrard to thump home the goal of the night in front of the Kop, ensuring that the captain’s 100th European appearance would be memorable for more than a mere milestone.

His work done, Gerrard left to a standing ovation soon afterwards, with Benítez eager to conserve energies for the trip to Manchester United in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday. That meant a rare appearance for one of the club’s recent academy graduates, Jay Spearing, who delighted the home fans with an enterprising cameo, but it was another substitute, Dossena, who made the aggregate score 5-0 in the 88th minute, sweeping home a cross from the tireless Mascherano. At the end, Benítez, unsmiling, quickly disappeared down the tunnel, ammunition for conspiracy theorists and body-language experts alike. Later, he even produced a smile. But was he satisfied? “Nearly.” Wouldn’t you just know it?

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): J M Reina — Á Arbeloa, M Skrtel, J Carragher, F Aurélio — X Alonso (sub: Lucas Leiva, 60min), J Mascherano — D Kuyt, S Gerrard (sub: J Spearing, 73), R Babel — F Torres (sub: A Dossena, 84). Substitutes not used: D Cavalieri, S Hyypia, M Kelly, D Ngog. Booked: Gerrard, Mascherano, Dossena.

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): I Casillas — Sergio Ramos, Pepe, F Cannavaro (sub: R van der Vaart, 64), G Heinze — F Gago (sub: Guti, 77), L Diarra — A Robben (sub: Marcelo, 46), W Sneijder, G Higuain — Raúl. Substitutes not used: J Dudek, C Metzelder, Miguel Torres, J Saviola. Booked: Pepe, Heinze, Marcelo.

Referee: Mr F De Bleeckere (Belgium)