If someone had told Rafael Benitez back in September that Liverpool's final Champions League Group E match would be a dead-rubber, it is not unreasonable to suggest his response would have been along the lines of a satisfied smile.
Of course, like most, that would have been to assume that the Reds would have sealed qualification from a useful, but hardly terrifying, group with a game to spare. A not unreasonable assumption, especially given their 1-0 opening-week success over Hungarian minnows Debrecen at Anfield.
Since then, Liverpool's season has unravelled alarmingly. And the origins of their collapse may well lie in their previous meeting with Wednesday night's opponents, Fiorentina.
When Benitez took his side to Florence on September 29, they were on a run of six straight victories, having seemingly bounced back from losing two of their first three league matches. They had just smashed six goals past Hull City at Anfield, and Fernando Torres appeared to be back to his very best form, with five goals in two matches.
Optimism was high. Liverpool were not playing especially fluently, but they were winning games. Just as they had in 2008/09.
It took just 45 minutes for reality to give optimism a good kicking. An experimental Reds line-up, with Fabio Aurelio in central midfield, received a first-half battering, in which two goals from Fiorentina's classy Montenegrin forward Stevan Jovetic put the game out of reach. The Reds lost 2-0, and pretty comfortably too.
Five days later, Benitez saw his side go down by the same scoreline at Chelsea, and the Reds have won just three of the dozen games since their Florence thrashing - a run of form which has seen them slide to seventh place in the Premier League, and crash out of the Champions League.
Wednesday represents a chance for Benitez and his side to restore some pride to the club, though even a heavy win over Cesare Prandelli's effervescent side would leave only tinges of regret amongst the Anfield faithful. A dead-rubber it might be, but Liverpool cannot afford to treat it as such.
Despite a run of six games unbeaten, and with three clean sheets on the spin, Benitez is set to ring the changes for the Viola's visit, with one eye surely on another critical Premier League fixture - at home to Arsenal on Sunday.
On the face of it, his squad is as fit as it has been all season. Ryan Babel was the only absentee as Benitez put his side through a rigorous training session at Melwood on Tuesday morning, and both Fernando Torres and Alberto Aquilani are expected to feature from the start at Anfield on Wednesday, the latter for his first start in Liverpool's colours.
Others - Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, Emiliano Insua and Javier Mascherano - are likely to be rested for the Arsenal clash, with players such as Andrea Dossena, Philipp Degen and, perhaps, Dani Pacheco, given rare outings. Benitez's squad has long been lambasted for its lack of depth; Wednesday offers a chance to answer back.
Aquilani's presence should ensure that the Anfield atmosphere is in attendance on Wednesday night, and the importance of momentum - even if the Reds' recent performances have remained below the standards set last season - should not be underestimated.
It might have been a game against Fiorentina which began Liverpool's poor spell, but the return fixture offers a chance to show that that run, as autumn turns to winter, has been left behind with conkers and bonfires.
Of course, like most, that would have been to assume that the Reds would have sealed qualification from a useful, but hardly terrifying, group with a game to spare. A not unreasonable assumption, especially given their 1-0 opening-week success over Hungarian minnows Debrecen at Anfield.
Since then, Liverpool's season has unravelled alarmingly. And the origins of their collapse may well lie in their previous meeting with Wednesday night's opponents, Fiorentina.
When Benitez took his side to Florence on September 29, they were on a run of six straight victories, having seemingly bounced back from losing two of their first three league matches. They had just smashed six goals past Hull City at Anfield, and Fernando Torres appeared to be back to his very best form, with five goals in two matches.
Optimism was high. Liverpool were not playing especially fluently, but they were winning games. Just as they had in 2008/09.
It took just 45 minutes for reality to give optimism a good kicking. An experimental Reds line-up, with Fabio Aurelio in central midfield, received a first-half battering, in which two goals from Fiorentina's classy Montenegrin forward Stevan Jovetic put the game out of reach. The Reds lost 2-0, and pretty comfortably too.
Five days later, Benitez saw his side go down by the same scoreline at Chelsea, and the Reds have won just three of the dozen games since their Florence thrashing - a run of form which has seen them slide to seventh place in the Premier League, and crash out of the Champions League.
Wednesday represents a chance for Benitez and his side to restore some pride to the club, though even a heavy win over Cesare Prandelli's effervescent side would leave only tinges of regret amongst the Anfield faithful. A dead-rubber it might be, but Liverpool cannot afford to treat it as such.
Despite a run of six games unbeaten, and with three clean sheets on the spin, Benitez is set to ring the changes for the Viola's visit, with one eye surely on another critical Premier League fixture - at home to Arsenal on Sunday.
On the face of it, his squad is as fit as it has been all season. Ryan Babel was the only absentee as Benitez put his side through a rigorous training session at Melwood on Tuesday morning, and both Fernando Torres and Alberto Aquilani are expected to feature from the start at Anfield on Wednesday, the latter for his first start in Liverpool's colours.
Others - Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, Emiliano Insua and Javier Mascherano - are likely to be rested for the Arsenal clash, with players such as Andrea Dossena, Philipp Degen and, perhaps, Dani Pacheco, given rare outings. Benitez's squad has long been lambasted for its lack of depth; Wednesday offers a chance to answer back.
Aquilani's presence should ensure that the Anfield atmosphere is in attendance on Wednesday night, and the importance of momentum - even if the Reds' recent performances have remained below the standards set last season - should not be underestimated.
It might have been a game against Fiorentina which began Liverpool's poor spell, but the return fixture offers a chance to show that that run, as autumn turns to winter, has been left behind with conkers and bonfires.
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