Rarely can the final whistle of a Liverpool home defeat have been more warmly received than here.
On a wild night at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp’s men just about avoided being blown out of the Champions League by an awkward Inter Milan.
No wonder the Reds boss had warned of the danger his team faced by taking a two-goal lead into this round of 16 second leg.
But it wasn’t just the howling wind that caused Liverpool problems as they suffered only their third loss in their last 53 games – one, ultimately, that will count for little.
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They say styles make fights. And this was one almighty battle Klopp and his players were glad to see time called on.
Over the two legs, the Reds struggled to get a proper grip on the 3-5-2 formation employed by Simone Inzaghi’s side.
That was witnessed in the first leg when Liverpool were exposed on a number of occasions and somewhat fortunate to escape with a 2-0 victory.
How important those late goals from Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah look now.
In truth, Inter were rarely as threatening here as on their own patch, and were lucky Klopp’s side struck the woodwork three times – once from Joel Matip before the break, twice from Salah in the second half.
But a combination of the conditions, Serie A champions Inter upping the pressure and sloppy play around the back meant there was, for a fleeting moment, a chance the Reds could be threatened when Lautaro Martinez smashed in from 20 yards shortly after the hour.
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When Liverpool wobbled in the San Siro, the bench came to the rescue. Here it was referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz who provided the game-turning moment.
Within a minute of the Reds going behind, a second yellow card and subsequent red for Inter striker Alexis Sanchez ended the game as a contest.
Sanchez and Inter had valid reason to be furious – it was a foul on Fabinho but borderline yellow – yet the former Manchester United man could easily have seen red for earlier catching Thiago Alcantara on the calf with his studs.
And that was that, Liverpool suffering a first home defeat in just over 12 months but taking their place in the quarter-final draw on Friday week. That is all that matters.
