Liverpool were robbed of a foothold in the last four of the Europa League by some absolutely shocking officiating in Portugal on Thursday night.

A fantastic cheeky back heel by Agger provided the Reds the away goal they needed. Benefica, when it was 11 v 11, looked a very good side but I always felt we had another goal left in us such was the intent that Gerrard and Torres started with.

Ryan Babel is sent off ©Getty Images

Once the ref decided that it was ok to dish out a red card for violent conduct on our number 9 I knew it would be a very long night. After 30 minutes the game changed.

A smarter ref would have handled it differently but this buffoon couldn't resist drawing attention to himself. Their defender upended Torres leaving him prone on the ground and then went quickly to Babel giving him a verbal assault. Surely a yellow for the tackle and a yellow for aggressive behaviour!

Babel touched Luisao’s face as he was moving forward and the ref decided a straight red for Babel and a yellow for the Benfica player. Surely common sense should have prevailed. The ref must ask himself is which is worse. Clearly he didn't' and he made a mockery of himself.

It all went back to the start of the match when Babel was kicked in the head, some seven yards from the ref and the official let pay go on. What a muppet!

Liverpool needed a tactical reshuffle, putting Gerrard on the left and we did pretty well. Even scoring a few minutes later with a goal that was ruled offside against a player that never touched the ball. Liverpool went into the break a goal in front...

The ref handed Benfica a lifeline when Insua and Aimar bumped in the box, Aimar initiating all the contact. It was not a penalty.

Benfica pressed but the combination play of Torres and Kuyt created a wonderful opening for Torres. Normally he would score, but this time he didn’t as he was clearly tired. Benfica went up the other end and the officials got their only decision right the entire night. It was handball against Carragher, but it was the linesman and not the ref who spotted that.

Toward the end of the match a Benfica player, who had already been booked up ended Torres again, no attempt to play the ball but the ref turned a blind eye. He was totally inept.