Liverpool's all-conquering season that brought them the club's first league title in 30 years seemed an age away as they were eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final at a deserted Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp's side, who carried all before them in the league last season, are now left with only the Premier League's top four - and a place in Europe's elite competition next term - to aim for if they are to salvage something from this fragmented, disappointing, injury-hit campaign.
As Zinedine Zidane's players celebrated a professional job that saw them set up a Champions League semi-final against Chelsea, Klopp was left to ponder Liverpool's fall from grace in the past 12 months.