Fiorentina spoil Reds' swan song

Alberto Gilardino struck in injury time to ensure Fiorentina advanced to the UEFA Champions League first knockout round as Group E winners with a 2-1 comeback victory at eliminated Liverpool.

Trailing to Yossi Benayoun's header shortly before the break, the Viola drew level through Martin Jørgensen before Gilardino snatched victory in dramatic fashion when he turned in Juan Vargas's low cross in the dying seconds at a rain-sodden Anfield. If a second successive home defeat - an unwanted first in Europe for Liverpool - marked a sorry end to their UEFA Champions League campaign, for Fiorentina the fairy tale goes on, this fifth successive victory ensuring they will fear nobody in the last 16.

Fiorentina entered the contest looking to make sure of top spot in the group and they were almost gifted an early goal by Daniel Agger's under-hit back pass. Mario Santana reacted sharply but Liverpool goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri - making his first UEFA Champions League appearance of the season in place of Pepe Reina - got there first. After Jørgensen had blazed wildly over from the edge of the box, the visitors twice came close to a breakthrough shortly after the half-hour. Lorenzo De Silvestri, one of several fringe players featuring for the injury-ravaged visitors, powered in a header from a Jørgensen corner that Cavalieri tipped over. Then the Brazilian got down low to turn away Riccardo Montolivo's volley from the next set-piece.

In truth, those were rare flashes of excitement in a subdued first half. With Liverpool's fate - their first group-stage elimination under Rafael Benítez - already sealed, the match unfolded at a slow tempo. Anfield got its first sight of Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani starting in Liverpool red, four months after his summer arrival from AS Roma. Yet it was their usual inspiration, Steven Gerrard, who set up Benayoun's opening goal two minutes before the break. Gerrard, presented before kick-off with a memento of his recent 500th appearance, swung in a free-kick from the right which Benayoun met at the near post with a glancing header that Sébastien Frey got a hand to but could not stop going in off the far upright.

Scenting a morale-boosting victory, Liverpool found another gear in the second half and Gerrard almost teed up a second with another wickedly delivered free-kick only for Agger to mistime his attempted diving header. Instead, Fiorentina drew level in the 63rd minute through Jørgensen. Gianluca Comotto slipped the ball forward to Gilardino on the edge of Liverpool's area and the striker laid it off to the left where the Viola skipper let fly with a first-time effort.

Liverpool sought a response and after Gerrard had shot into the side-netting, 18-year-old debutant Jaime Pacheco - replacing Aquilani - drew a low save from Frey with a drive from the edge of the box. Instead, with the rain pouring down, the Viola grabbed victory as Gilardino buried the ball past Cavalieri to send the visiting supporters into raptures.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the views or position of Liverpool Football Club.