At one end of Anfield, on the front rows of the Real Madrid section, there was a marriage proposal before kick-off. Happily, it appeared to be accepted.
Elsewhere, the bitterness and rancour of a recent divorce remained audible and visible. For Trent Alexander Arnold and Liverpool, it seems cordiality and respect will never return.
'Trent', they used to call him round here. Now, it's 'rat'. On the mural that depicts a local boy's rise to stardom near this famous stadium, that emotively disparaging word had even been adapted for his first visit here with his new club.