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Liverpool's dreams of repeating history with another magnificent European night in Rome are still alive after Dirk Kuyt scored a last-minute goal in extra time to ensure they made it through to the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.
It will be 32-years next May since Liverpool held aloft the European Cup for the first time and the side will be hoping they can mark the anniversary with trophy number six after Kuyt's 118th minute goal saved them from a shock early exit in a competition they have come to dominate.
After a goalless draw in the first away leg of the competition, Standard Leige needed to just one goal to make it through, and with a more convincing display throughout the match it looked to be heading that way.
But Liverpool don't do things easy.
And, if the 2005 Miracle of Istanbul, where Liverpool came back from a 3-0 thrashing by AC Milan at half time to win the European Cup for the fifth time, has taught us anything, it is that Liverpool's European nights are never over until the final whistle blows.
The Dutchman, who was brought on in the 83rd minute to transform an unconvincing Liverpool, celebrated his 100th game for the club in true style after converting a Ryan Babel cross at the far post in the final three minutes of extra time.
The goal sparked rapturous celebrations from the Anfield faithful after the goalless game looked sure to end in nail-biting penalties.
But the relief surely felt by the fans and all in the Liverpool camp can not mask the problems in a team who seem to have started the new Premier League season as an almost unrecognisable disjointed and uncreative side.
Failed to light
During the game neither striking ace Fernando Torres, nor new 20million-pound signing Robbie Keane - who was substituted after his partnership with Torres once again failed to light - did much to lift a game that most people thought would be a walk over for Liverpool, and it was left to goalkeeper Pepe Reina to keep them in the match.
Reina was the busiest man on the field on Thursday, producing a superb save to deny Dieumeric Mbokani's 25-yard screamer early on.
The Spaniard was stretched again to stop a Marouane Fellaini volley in the opening half.
Standard, whose fans almost threatened to out sing the Kop, proved to be the better side in the first half of the game and would have earned a shock, but deserved victory if Igor Camargo had not headed a shot wide in the final minute of normal time.
Problems loom
After reaching the group stages, last years semi-finalist Liverpool will now have to pull ranks to sort the on field problems before facing the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid or Inter Milan if they have any hopes of progessing to the latter stages of the tournament.
