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It was not a test of Fernando Torres’ inner resolve that Liverpool faced in Lisbon tonight but an assault on their collective will. Controversially reduced to 10 men after only 30 minutes against Benfica, Rafael Benítez’s side also had the comfort of a precious away goal undermined by two costly penalty decisions at Estádio da Luz. Throw in a painful night for their Spanish talisman in Iberia, and Liverpool’s infuriation was complete.

For so long this had the trappings of a memorable away scalp for Liverpool. They could still have departed with a draw had Torres not squandered a one-on-one late on, before being replaced due to what seemed an injury, but two Oscar Cardozo penalties has left them a troubled task at Anfield next week.

Liverpool’s two Champions League ties ties against Benfica four years ago failed to yield a single goal for but they remedied that statistic in style to gain a foothold on this quarter-final after nine minutes. It was an exquisite finish from Daniel Agger.

The Swedish referee, Jonas Eriksson, opened his hectic night by awarding Liverpool a foul on the left of the Benfica penalty area when Maxi Pereira, their right back, sent Steven Gerrard sprawling. With the Portuguese league leaders crowding their six-yard box in anticipation of an in-swinging free-kick, Gerrard simply squared his delivery low to the unmarked Agger, who flicked a nonchalant back-heel into the bottom corner.

The omens had not augured well for Benfica from the moment Vitoria, the club’s emblematic eagle that swoops around the stadium before kick off, had refused to land on its designated plinth and its sheepish handler coaxed it up at the third attempt. But their reaction to conceding an early away goal in Europe was that of a team convinced in its own outstanding ability. The volume inside the stadium rose while Liverpool were still celebrating, as did the threat from Benfica once the contest resumed.

Fábio Coentrao, leading the line alone in the absence of the injured Javier Saviola, squandered a glorious chance to level within minutes when he met Carlos Martins’ cross at the back post, only to slice his connection over the bar. When not attempting to release the incisive Angel Di Maria at every opportunity, Martins unsettled the visiting defence from deep too and one lofted chip over Agger put Pablo Aimar through, but an uncharacteristically poor first touch enabled Jose Reina to collect. The Liverpool goalkeeper saved from Di Maria’s header and saw the Argentine send a rising drive inches over his top corner from 20 yards as the pressure remained on his goal.

On the half hour Liverpool’s task became more problematic when Eriksson brought chaos to proceedings and Babel foolishly, if also harshly, received a straight red card for pushing Luisão in the face. The Benfica captain was the instigator of the controversy with a dreadful foul from behind on Torres that perhaps deserved more than the yellow card shown. In the melee that followed, Babel placed his hand across the Brazilian’s mouth and stupidly raised his hand to the defender’s face a second time to attract red. Luisão was also guilty of lifting his hands, and in the arguments that followed it initially seemed that Benfica were down to 10 men. Eventually, however, it was Babel who commenced the lonely walk, to the catcalls of the Portuguese and disbelief of Benítez in the visiting dug-out.

There was further incident when Torres put the ball in the net from another Gerrard free-kick but Dirk Kuyt was given offside in the build-up. Emiliano Insúa then collected the booking that will rule him out of next week’s return when he pulled back Aimar.

Benfica’s defenders were taking turns to leave their mark on Torres in an attempt to entice a reaction from the Spaniard, and their supporters also crossed the line when a fire-cracker was thrown at one of the additional assistant referees behind the goal. The firework missed its target .

The Portuguese had some nerve having a pop at the match officials. What grievances were felt on the night were entirely Liverpool’s. Cordoza, having missed another inviting header early in the second half, was awarded a generous free-kick just outside the visitors’ penalty area following a tussle with Agger. When the Paraguayan’s thunderous free-kick cannoned off the base of a post and rebounded to Aimar, who was heading to ground before Insua made contact, Benfica got the benefit of the doubt once again. Penalty; and Cordoza finally made his mark by beating Reina’s dive towards the bottom left hand corner.

Cordozo benefited again when Carragher was adjuged to have handled Di Maria’s cross 12 minutes from time, this time sending Reina the wrong way with a delicate chip from 12 yards.

Uefa Europa LeagueBenficaLiverpoolAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

Fernando Torres’s late winner did little to improve frosty relations between the Aston Villa manager and his Liverpool counterpart

After the complimentary pre-match comments, there was a cursory handshake and then the gloves were off. Not one of the 42,000 supporters crammed into Villa Park was going to be fooled into believing Martin O’Neill and Rafael Benítez have become best friends. Gareth Barry, the man at the centre of their furious row 18 months ago, has disappeared from the scene but with a place in the top four at stake tonight’s fixture threatened to reignite their rivalry.

The freezing weather ensured there would be no thaw in relations between the two men on an evening when Benítez was left to rue the referee, Lee Probert’s, failure to point to the penalty spot in the first half while O’Neill reflected on the wonderful save Pepe Reina had earlier produced to thwart Stewart Downing. Otherwise, this was an occasion that promised much and delivered little until deep into stoppage time.

Enter Fernando Torres, the ball breaking to the Spaniard in the Villa penalty area in the 93rd minute and, with the angle narrowing, he drilled beyond Brad Friedel to bring Liverpool three points and create a little history. The striker has become the fastest player to score 50 league goals for Liverpool, reaching the landmark in 72 appearances and, in doing so, supplanting Roger Hunt.

Not too many managers have got under O’Neill’s skin during his three-and-a-half-year reign at Villa Park but Benítez succeeded last year when he claimed that the Northern Irishman had discussed the “idea” of Barry’s transfer a month before the season ended. “I’m not sure he respects anything,” responded the Villa manager at the time. The spat rumbled on, with O’Neill claiming in the summer that he had no sympathy for Benítez when Barry opted to join Manchester City.

Against that backdrop it seems inconceivable that the Villa manager will give the Spaniard any encouragement if and when he approaches him about signing Emile Heskey next month. He told Benítez “we’re not a feeder club” when the Liverpool manager first inquired about Barry and the contrasting fortunes of both clubs this season will arguably have reinforced that view. Put Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard in the Villa side and would there be much difference between the two teams?

There was certainly little to choose between them during an opening 45 minutes when it was as much as the players could do to remain on their feet as a snowstorm on a wet surface turned the pitch into an ice rink. Not that the conditions were any excuse for Richard Dunne’s reckless challenge on Dirk Kuyt in the 37th minute which was as stonewall a penalty as you are likely to see. Remarkably, Probert, waved play on.

Benítez and his backroom staff leapt to their feet, jumping around frantically in a technical area that was proving to be far more entertaining to watch than anything the 22 players were producing. Moments later it was O’Neill’s turn to lead a merry dance, the Villa manager furious that Probert had awarded a free-kick against Dunne after he clattered into Lucas. Within seconds the Brazilian was booked for a foul on Gabriel Agbonlahor and Benítez was back on his feet making diving gestures.

It was that sort of evening, with the first half yielding only two genuine goalscoring chances as both sides struggled to string together any coherent attacking moves. Steven Gerrard, teed up by Torres, swept a first-time shot from just outside the area that Brad Friedel tipped over, while at the opposite end Pepe Reina showed his superb reflexes when he stuck out a right hand to brilliantly turn Downing’s stinging volley behind. O’Neill looked on with a mixture of frustration and disbelief.

Liverpool’s suspect defending on set-pieces was exposed when Villa won at Anfield in August and the freedom Downing was given before swinging his left boot ought to have encouraged O’Neill there was further reward to be gleaned here. Whatever the arguments about the merits of zonal and man-to-man marking it was clear that Benítez, who favours the former system, had not stationed anyone on the corner of the six-yard box at the far post.

More difficult to understand was the ease with which John Carew managed to jump inside the Liverpool area to meet James Milner’s corner, the ball glancing inches wide of the upright. That chance arrived during Villa’s best spell, which included a penalty appeal when Emiliano Insúa misjudged his header and the ball struck his hand. Torres, however, ensured the night belonged to Benítez and not O’Neill.

Premier LeagueAston VillaMartin O’NeillLiverpoolRafael BenítezStuart Jamesguardian.co.uk