Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Jose Reina all returned to Liverpool's starting line-up for tonight's Champions League clash against Inter Milan - one of the most important matches of manager Rafael Benitez's reign.
The Spaniard's position has come under increasing scrutiny after Saturday's FA Cup exit to Barnsley, and the Reds boss made five changes from that losing side - the most significant being Torres' reappearance after a hamstring injury.
Left-back Fabio Aurelio and Javier Mascherano were the others to return - with goalkeeper Charles Itandje, John Arne Riise, Yossi Benayoun, Xabi Alonso and Peter Crouch all dropped to the bench.
Inter boss Roberto Mancini made four changes to the team which beat Livorno 2-0 at the weekend to open up an 11-point gap at the top of Serie A.
His preferred striking partnership of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, joint top scorer in the Champions League with five goals, and Julio Cruz was restored after being rested for the league match.
Liverpool, backed by a wall of sound from the Kop, started brightly and in the third minute Gerrard robbed Esteban Cambiasso and broke down the right but the Argentina midfielder got back to deflect the cross for a corner.
When the ball came over Jamie Carragher sidefooted the ball goalwards and the tumbling Maicon appeared to block the shot with his arm but Belgian referee Frank de Bleeckere was not interested.
A minute later Cristian Chivu was booked for tripping Gerrard 25 yards out on the right but Aurelio curled his free-kick over.
Torres then outjumped Ivan Cordoba to nod back Aurelio's deep cross but the onrushing Lucas' shot went over.
The pressure continued to build and in the ninth minute goalkeeper Julio Cesar tipped Sami Hyypia's header from Gerrard's corner over the crossbar.
Former Everton centre-back Marco Materazzi was then booked for pulling back Torres as he chased Dirk Kuyt's long ball but Gerrard's free-kick failed to beat the first man.
The Italian - the only one in the starting XI - was in a better position moments later to block Gerrard's shot from the edge of the area after Torres' dummy.
Mascherano, who before the game had stressed he would have no friends among his Argentina team-mates in the opposition's line-up, proved the point by hacking down Cruz in the 16th minute.
Carragher fouled Cruz 35 yards out but Cordoba's delivery was too long and ball went harmlessly behind.
Torres drew another foul, this time from Cordoba, wide on the right but again Gerrard failed to get the ball past the front post.
And the Spaniard proved too much of a handful once again for Materazzi in the 30th minute and it cost the Italian dear.
The central defender grabbed hold of the striker's shoulder as he raced past him and the referee had no hesitation in showing a second yellow card, followed by a red.
With five minutes to the interval, Ryan Babel blazed over from 20 yards as Liverpool, as has been the case too often this season, struggled to find a breakthrough.
With a minute to go in the half, Gerrard burst into the area and rolled a pass across the six-yard box but Kuyt could not get to it first at the far post.
Former Everton defender Marco Materazzi was sent off for a second bookable offence after just 30 minutes but Inter Milan held on until half-time in their Champions League tie against Liverpool at Anfield.
The hosts dominated throughout but failed to generate any real chances, although Fernando Torres proved too hot to handle for Materazzi, who was booked and then dismissed for twice pulling back the pacy striker.
Inter's first attempt at a shot came in the 48th minute when Hyypia's mix-up with Reina allowed Cambiasso an opening - but he screwed his effort wide.
Liverpool hit back down their right, with Mascherano and Finnan combining. But the full-back's low, driven cross was cleared behind by Chivu.
Such was the hosts' dominance even Hyypia was afforded an invitation to shoot. But his strike, after carrying the ball 20 yards from the halfway line, was off target.
In the 55th minute, Inter replaced Cruz - who had played a deeper role since the sending-off - with former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira.
Finnan won a free-kick close to the byline after being caught in the face by Dejan Stankovic's trailing arm, but Aurelio's cross was disappointingly long.
Liverpool's chance to break the deadlock came in the 58th minute when Vieira's clearance rebounded into the path of Torres, who raced clear. But his shot was tipped inches past the post by Julio Cesar, with Hyypia heading over a Kuyt cross from the resulting corner.
Anfield erupted in screams for a penalty when Vieira raised his hands to Gerrard's attempt to lob the ball past him on the byline - but the referee awarded a corner.
Torres curled a low shot narrowly wide in the 64th minute before Benitez made his first change, replacing Lucas with Peter Crouch.
Babel was replaced by Jermaine Pennant in the 72nd minute as Benitez sought to inject some life into his side's performance.
Crouch then collected his own flick-on from Cordoba's weak header to stab a shot wide of Cesar's right-hand post, with the defender departing the action on a stretcher after falling awkwardly.
In the 84th minute, Liverpool were in front at last thanks to Kuyt's second goal in successive matches.
Pennant's cross from the right evaded everyone and fell to the Dutchman at the far post.
He took a touch before hammering a shot into the ground which appeared to take a slight deflection of Maicon before beating Cesar.
Gerrard made it even better in the last minute when his drilled right-foot shot from 20 yards went in off the right-hand post.
