You won't like him when he's angry .... Brazilian striker Hulk helped vanquish Liverpool. Source: Andrew Yates / AP
Liverpool needed a Europa League miracle to progress past Zenit St Petersburg in the final 32 of the Europa League, and they nearly did just that.
Liverpool went in to the clash facing a 2-0 deficit from the first leg in Russia, and it soon got worse, with Zenit's Brazilian striker Hulk pouncing on an under-hit backpass from Jamie Carragher to slot home early in the first half.
That meant the home side would need to score four unanswered goals to reach the competition's final 16.
Luis Suarez got them on their way with a fortuitous free kick in the 28th minute, and when Joe Allen made it two just before the interval, a feeling developed around Anfield that Liverpool might just pull off the unlikeliest of escape acts.
That belief grew to real confidence in the 60th minute when Suarez lashed home his second free kick of the match, a fine curling effort to level the aggregate scores at 3-3, meaning Zenit were now only holding on by their away goal.
Backed by a raucous Anfield crowd, Liverpool threw everything they had at the Zenit defence, but it wasn't to be as the Russian outfit held on for the narrowest of victories.
In London, Chelsea's Eden Hazard scored a last-minute equaliser against Sparta Prague to seal the hosts' progression into the last 16 of the competition.
More to come...
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