"In the city of the Beatles," wrote one Portuguese newspaper this week, "Benfica will have to play a different tune." And while they certainly fired up the band on a strange old night at Anfield, Liverpool proved they knew the dance.
By now, the Reds are wily enough to successfully navigate the pitfalls of a Champions League quarter-final and this is the third time in four years they have emerged as victors at this stage of Europe's most grandiose competition under Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool can now add Benfica's name to Manchester City and Porto as teams they have dispatched in the last eight, even if this one was a bit more irritable and chaotic than those previous triumphs.
Even during their re-emergence as a continental force under Rafa Benitez in the mid 00s, Liverpool were never this fancied by neutrals or this feared by opposition. A 6-4 aggregate win eventually sees them into the semis after a wild 3-3 draw that kept them involved in a battle until the very last whistle.
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Klopp made seven changes in total as he gave watching briefs to a slew of big names. Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold all sat it out to begin with. Despite claiming Saturday's FA Cup semi-final with Man City was not a factor in his thinking on Tuesday, the lineup not only suggested otherwise, but used a megaphone to do so.
Any fears that the changes would overly harm proceedings appeared inaccurate as Klopp's men picked up where they left off in Lisbon. After 20 minutes, Ibrahima Konate scored a goal that was almost identical to his opener last week when he met Kostas Tsimikas' corner with a firm header.
It was the early goal the Reds would have craved before kick-off as they looked to avoid a potential slip-up. From there on in, with the tie at 4-1, there was more than an air of inevitability about their progression.
To be wholly fair to Nelson Verissimo's side though, they refused to ever accept their fate quietly. Goncalo Ramos responded shortly after the half-hour mark to even things up.
Roberto Firmino was rewarded for some textbook centre-forward play after the restart as he made it 2-1 before Klopp's power play saw Salah, Thiago and Fabinho introduced for James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Diogo Jota.
As far as statements of intent go from the bench, it was one that summed up why so many believe this Liverpool have the required strength in depth to not only lift a seventh European Cup but in fact go all the way in their quadruple hunt.
They will have to improve considerably at the back for that achievement to be realised, however. This, after months of sterling defensive work, was a rare off-night for the much-debated high-line tactic. It was at least to be expected with the unfamiliar back four of Joe Gomez, Konate, Joel Matip and Tsimikas.
Firmino side-footed home another teasing Tsimikas delivery for his second of the night before another show of strength in depth was exercised by the arrival of Mane for the tireless Luis Diaz.
The Brazilian's performance, particularly in the second half, has now given Klopp some serious food for thought over his starting attack for Wembley on Saturday. When Firmino is on song, the Reds just look so fluid in the final third. The standing ovation earned when he was replaced late on by Divock Origi was richly deserved.
Substitute Roman Yaremchuk sprung the offside trap to make it 3-2 and hearts were in mouths on the Kop when Darwin Nunez equalised on the night inside the final 10 minutes. Both times, it was the intervention of VAR that granted the goals.
From a position of total strength, the Reds suddenly looked a little unsure, even if the visitors still needed two more just to force extra time. Nunez had another ruled out, again for offside, with virtually the last kick of the game, but Liverpool had done enough to finally, belatedly rid themselves of a Benfica team who simply refused to quit.
"I'm so glad that Jurgen is a Red!" sang the Kop as a new terrace anthem was given its European debut. It acutely summed up the feelings of an entire fanbase. They must hope Klopp never leaves this place and it's easy to see why.
For many of a certain age-range, Liverpool have never been this good in Europe. While proud boasts of their continental pedigree and heritage were often confined to the achievements of bygone eras, fans can puff out their chests and cherish the here and now under Klopp.
And they have every right to, too. After all, a second Champions League triumph of the German's reign is now firmly in supporters' sights as they get set for a semi-final showdown with Villarreal. European Cup No.7 is a distinct possibility and one suspects there are already plenty who have mapped a route to Paris for the final in late May.
It could hardly have fallen better. Having been drawn with the beatable Benfica in the quarter-finals, that it is Villarreal awaiting in the semis will feel like a massive slice of good fortune, even if Unai Emery's side - the conquerors of Juventus and Bayern Munich - will be given the utmost respect for what they have achieved so far. Expect those Beatles references to return when the Yellow Submarine surfaces on Merseyside.
For now, though, attention turns to Wembley where City await for a place in the FA Cup final.
The stakes are high and the nerves are fraught. This is what it's all about.
