Liverpool sent out after victory

Liverpool were sent crashing out of the Champions League at the group stage despite a 1-0 victory over Debrecen at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium.

Having progressed from the Champions League group stages five years in succession, Liverpool were dumped out of the competition after they were pipped by Lyon and Fiorentina in Group E as the Europa League now awaits for a beleaguered Benitez and his side.
David Ngog's fourth-minute strike was enough for Rafael Benitez's side to edge out the Hungarian side, but Fiorentina's 1-0 win over Lyon saw the Reds' European campaign come to a shuddering halt.
The visitors' joy after Ngog's opportunist finish was tempered as the news from Florence filtered through with a tannoy announcement confirming their worst fears in the 28th minute.
Liverpool started the game quickly and always looked set to secure a comfortable victory after a run of just one win in 10 games in all competitions left Benitez's side with their fate resting in the hands of the French side.
After beginning the match at a typically frantic tempo, the visitors took the lead as Ngog stole in front of Norbert Meszaros to stab home from Steven Gerrard's flick on inside the Debrecen penalty area.
Liverpool's lead should have been doubled as early as the 11th minute after Gerrard whipped in a devilish delivery from the right which beat the lunge of Marcell Fodor but Dirk Kuyt made a tame contact in front of goal and the chance was squandered.
It took until the 35th minute for Debrecen to force a clear-cut opportunity of their own as Gergely Rudolf stole in between Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger to meet Zoltan Szelesi's delivery from the right, but his header drifted wide of Pepe Reina's near post.
Ngog continued to impress with his pace and conviction in the final third, and the striker pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the Debrecen box and lashed his shot towards the far corner of the goal, only for Vukasin Poleksic to dive full-length to tip the ball wide.

Gerrard was characteristically brimming with urgency and purpose in the second half, while Benitez continued to confine Yossi Benayoun and Alberto Aquilani to the bench and was reluctant to introduce the pair of creative midfielders.
Indeed, the Liverpool skipper came agonisingly close to doubling his side's lead as he surged into the Debrecen box, but was denied by an impeccably-timed challenge from Fodor, who had no margin for error.
A minute later, another dynamic run and shot from Gerrard, including a slick one-two on the edge of the hosts' penalty area with Kuyt, brought a fine reflex save from Poleksic, who was forced to sprawl down to his right and parry the ball to safety.
Liverpool were left to bemoan having a lone striker in the 64th minute as Kuyt whipped in a superb delivery from the right, but Lucas headed wide of the near post with just Ngog providing the only additional presence in the box.
For all Liverpool's pressing and harrying in the Debrecen half, the visitors looked devoid of ideas on the whole as Debrecen steadily grew in confidence and introduced a second striker in the burly form of Adamo Coulibaly.
Benitez belatedly brought on Benayoun in the 77th minute at the expense of the goalscorer Ngog, but it was Debrecen who almost found a breakthrough as Coulibaly fired a shot from out on the right which took Reina completely by surprise, with the Spaniard just able to tip the ball over the bar.
Aquilani had to wait until the 91st minute until he got his paltry appearance as a dismayed Gerrard was taken off and all eyes turned to the Stadio Artemio Franchi stadium - but to no avail as Fiorentina clung on to dash Liverpool's hopes.
The final chance of the match fell to the hosts as substitute Coulibaly stormed through on goal but struck his shot straight at Reina as the reaction of the Benitez's forlorn side epitomised the feeling of the travelling supporters.