The hoardings which blinked up the message "Visit Spain" seemed necessary on a night when Liverpool shivered and their new Argentine midfielder Maxi Rodriguez sat bundled up in a large red and white scarf, in the stands. Today Rafael Benitez may feel like never before that he is in need of some home comforts and Rodriguez must wonder why on earth he left Atletico Madrid in the first place.
To say that the absence of Steven Gerrard, who did not materialise after half time having strained a hamstring, and Fernando Torres, who twisted his knee after Matthew Mills had bodychecked, left Liverpool shorn of their only creative sources is to repeat the oldest adage about this squad, and an accurate one. Torres wasn't the only who arrived to an eyewatering challenge. Jem Karacen was booked for one on Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt was also left writhing on the turf.
But after Reading had settled they looked by far the greater threat and, with the same starting side which had led in the first encounter in Berkshire, exposed all the defensive weaknesses which mean Liverpool might concede a goal at any time, whatever the opposition.
Take the moment Karacen emerged with a ball that he released to Simon Church in the first half. Church cut up Daniel Agger, sent a low cross skidding past the retreating Jamie Carragher and Grzegorz Rasiak couldn't believe his luck. He placed it over the bar with Cavalieri at his mercy. Then Church should have finished, from a deceptive McAnuff cross, that neither Carragher nor Philipp Degen could deal with.
It was all such a contrast to Liverpool's improbable, lucky goal in first-half injury time, when Gerrard's corner was recycled to him and after a one-two with Ngog he released a shot which was deflected in off the unfortunate Ryan Bertrand. Liverpool maintained some of their momentum this created: Aquilani's free-kick rebounded to Agger who fired wide of Federici's left post. But still the aerial weaknesses were evident in the home defence. Ivar Ingimarsson was allowed to get a free head to substitute Brian Howard's cross but could not connect.