Overjoyed Rafa Benitez hailed the "perfect" performance from his side, as they produced another European miracle at Anfield.
The normally cautious Liverpool boss could barely hide his delight, as mighty Inter Milan were humbled by two incredible late goals from Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard.
Those two strikes in the final five minutes of a game that had everything - even the dismissal of the pantomime villain Marco Materazzi - could just have given Benitez a lifeline in the fight to save his job.
And he certainly believes that his team have taken a massive stride towards the quarter-finals, after delivering a knock out blow to opponents who had not lost for five months.
"I can't say enough about my team. To score twice at the end is perfect, and it will be very difficult for them now, because we have produced a fantastic performance," a delighted Benitez said.
"I am really pleased for the attitude of the players and the supporters, it was a special night.
"I had confidence we would win, even with five minutes remaining because the team was playing well, we were passing the ball and playing with confidence. Even at the end we knew we could score."
Benitez knew that he was under intense pressure going into the game, because defeat would have left his side with nothing to play for with still three months of the season remaining.
There is a growing feeling within senior levels of the club that he has taken the side as far as he can.
But again last night the canny Spaniard showed that he can never be underestimated when it comes to the Champions' League, as an Inter Milan side who proudly stand 11 points clear at the top of Serie A found to their cost.
And afterwards, the Liverpool boss insisted it wasn't just a victory for him, but the whole club.
"We needed to win as a team but we wanted to progress as a team, for me as a manager I am pleased when we win, so it is a time to be happy," he said.
"I know people have said they had to win for me, but the players have to win for this amazing club. It is a big club, a massive club, and they played with passion.
"I was delighted with their performance, and now I want them to go and finish the job. But we have to be careful, because we know Inter are a very good side, who will still be very dangerous."
Inter were furious with Materazzi's dismissal with manager Roberto Mancini complaining: "We had one or two doubts about the red card, you can say."
But Gerrard summed up the night when he said: "We kept going right to the end, and we deserved our reward because we had the spirit to keep playing."
The normally cautious Liverpool boss could barely hide his delight, as mighty Inter Milan were humbled by two incredible late goals from Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard.
Those two strikes in the final five minutes of a game that had everything - even the dismissal of the pantomime villain Marco Materazzi - could just have given Benitez a lifeline in the fight to save his job.
And he certainly believes that his team have taken a massive stride towards the quarter-finals, after delivering a knock out blow to opponents who had not lost for five months.
"I can't say enough about my team. To score twice at the end is perfect, and it will be very difficult for them now, because we have produced a fantastic performance," a delighted Benitez said.
"I am really pleased for the attitude of the players and the supporters, it was a special night.
"I had confidence we would win, even with five minutes remaining because the team was playing well, we were passing the ball and playing with confidence. Even at the end we knew we could score."
Benitez knew that he was under intense pressure going into the game, because defeat would have left his side with nothing to play for with still three months of the season remaining.
There is a growing feeling within senior levels of the club that he has taken the side as far as he can.
But again last night the canny Spaniard showed that he can never be underestimated when it comes to the Champions' League, as an Inter Milan side who proudly stand 11 points clear at the top of Serie A found to their cost.
And afterwards, the Liverpool boss insisted it wasn't just a victory for him, but the whole club.
"We needed to win as a team but we wanted to progress as a team, for me as a manager I am pleased when we win, so it is a time to be happy," he said.
"I know people have said they had to win for me, but the players have to win for this amazing club. It is a big club, a massive club, and they played with passion.
"I was delighted with their performance, and now I want them to go and finish the job. But we have to be careful, because we know Inter are a very good side, who will still be very dangerous."
Inter were furious with Materazzi's dismissal with manager Roberto Mancini complaining: "We had one or two doubts about the red card, you can say."
But Gerrard summed up the night when he said: "We kept going right to the end, and we deserved our reward because we had the spirit to keep playing."
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