It was expected to be a fairly comfortable evening for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, as only a fortnight ago they eased past Red Star Belgrade 4-0 in as one-sided a Champions League game you could possibly get.
Fast forward to this evening and Liverpool suffered one of their worst European nights in recent times as a brace from Milan Pavkov handed Red Star a stunning 2-0 win over the Merseysiders, and not only dented Liverpool's chances of qualifying to the knockout stages, but also gave the Serbian side a glimmer of hope of qualifying in a group that has not only Liverpool, but also Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli.
Now, with Liverpool expected to win at a canter, the bookmakers took the firm view that whatever team Klopp put out they would have too much for a Red Star side that lacks the sort of qualities Liverpool possess.
How wrong they could have been, as Liverpool, who were the skinny odds of 2/11 with the bookmakers to win the match before a ball was kicked in Serbia, failed to show any sort of sparkle in front of a vociferous home crowd, and they wilted under the pressure as Red Star - as big as 14/1 with some firms before kick-off - stormed to a 2-0 win.
While those that had backed a home win would've been happy with their night's punting, the correct score market just outlines what a shock scoreline it was on Tuesday night, as a 2-0 Red Star win was available at staggering odds of 90/1 with some bookmakers. That's the same sort of price Manchester United are to win the Premier League and we know that isn't going to happen this season!
Continuing on a betting theme, Pavkov to score in the match and Red Star to win was a whopping 80/1, so tonight's victory for the home side is sure to have sent the bookmakers home happy, while Liverpool will have to go back to the drawing board before they face PSG and Napoli in their final two Champions League matches.
