Benayoun 43   Jorgensen 63

                                                                                          Gilardino 90 + 2

Liverpool’s Champions League campaign ended in suitably dismal fashion when Fiorentina’s stoppage-time winner clinched first place in Group E.

Alberto Gilardino’s right-foot strike won a game which was far more important to Fiorentina than it was to Liverpool.

And this was clear from the team selections. Fiorentina were short of a number of players through injury, Liverpool through choice.

Their £20m summer signing, alberto aquilani finally got his first start in a Liverpool shirt and did plenty during his 75 minutes on the pitch to suggest that he is a quality player. But he is too late for this season’s Champions League.

Late goals have cost Liverpool five points in three key games, which would have seen them qualify and possibly even win the group. And Benitez claimed that, apart from a “poor first half” in Florence, Liverpool were unlucky.

But they also only scored two of the group stage-record 19 goals conceded by Hungarian champions Debrecen.

Liverpool had plenty of possession in the first half here, but their stand-in keeper Diego Cavalieri was busier custodian, saving Lorenzo De Silvestri’s 32^nd minute header and Riccardo Montilivo’s shinned volley from the resultant corner

They took the lead on 43 minutes, Yossi Benayoun’s glancing near-post header converting Steven Gerrard’s superb free-kick from the right.

Fiorentina equalised on 63 minutes through Martin Jorgensen’s left-foot drive after a sweeping move had outflanked Liverpool’s defence.

Liverpool immediately introduced Fernando Torres after his five week injury lay-off. And Fiorentina keeper Sebastien Frey had to save well low to his left from substitute Daniel Pacheco’s shot – his first touch after replacing Aqualini.

But Fiorentina grabbed their dramatic winner two minutes into stoppage time after Juan Vargas dispossessed Liverpool youngster Steven Darby and crossed from the left for Gilardino to side-foot Fiorentina to the top of the group, consigning Liverpool to consecutive European defeats at Anfield for the first time ever.