Erik ten Hag’s men faced Real Sociedad on Thursday evening with a clear mission: win by two clear goals to top the group and progress to the last-16 stage.
A 1-0 victory was ultimately earned in Spain via an Alejandro Garnacho goal, but it was not enough to finish first and the Reds will now enter Monday’s Europa League draw for the play-offs.
The rules of this last-32 stage are simple, with the eight second-placed Europa League teams drawn against eight eliminated sides from the Champions League. It means there are two additional fixtures to navigate, but that isn’t an issue when the potential ties are so attractive and competitive.