Here was not only the ultimate test of Liverpool's development under Brendan Rodgers but the character their manager believes has been lacking. They passed, but it was not enough to add Zenit St Petersburg to the list of great European comebacks.
Two exquisite free-kicks from Luis Suárez and a first Liverpool goal for Joe Allen produced a memorable victory after Hulk had appeared to put Luciano Spalletti's team into an unassailable lead. The fourth eluded them, however, and it was an agonising way for Liverpool's last hope of silverware to disappear. It was also no way for Carragher to end his illustrious European career.
For all the stirring European escape acts Anfield has witnessed, Liverpool had overturned a two-goal first-leg deficit only once before. That was November 1991 when the current first-team coach Mike Marsh scored and starred in a 3-0 victory over Auxerre in the Uefa Cup. Jan Molby and Mark Walters were also on the scoresheet as Liverpool advanced 3-2 on aggregate courtesy of an 84th-minute winner. Rodgers would doubtless have accepted a repeat of that drama before kick-off having appealed to his team to remain patient throughout the second leg. Easier said than done.
The start was predictable enough. With Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho cup-tied, and Fabio Borini injured, Luis Suárez resumed his early season role of leading the Liverpool attack alone and was central to a lively opening from the home side backed by an equally energised crowd. The visitors offered little in attack but their intention to slow the game was evident each time they took possession. Zenit's midfield trio of Axel Witsel, Igor Denisov and Roman Shirokov worked tirelessly to restrict Liverpool to long balls over the top.
Suárez screamed for a penalty against Luís Neto when the ball bounced against the central defender's upper arm. The Dutch referee, Bjorn Kuipers, was not interested. The Uruguayan then lambasted Jordan Henderson for attempting to beat Zenit's goalkeeper, Vyacheslav Malafeev, from an ambitious angle, having dispossessed Aleksandr Anyukov when the striker was better placed inside.
Then came a moment to haunt Carragher on his 150th European appearance for Liverpool. Zenit had threatened only once in the opening 20 minutes and it was Carragher's experience that foiled them, the veteran leaning into Danny's shoulder to prevent him reaching Shirokov's flick into the area. Their next foray was a calamity for the defender. Sergei Semak's challenge on Steven Gerrard rebounded to Carragher just inside the Liverpool half. His first touch was awkward, the second played an under-cooked back-pass into the path of Hulk who strolled forward and beat José Reina with ease.
Liverpool now required four unanswered goals to qualify. They sensed it was not beyond them. The first arrived after Daniel Agger had been unceremoniously dumped on the edge of the Zenit area by Nicolas Lombaerts. Suárez swept the resulting free-kick between Hulk and Danny at the end of the wall and into the unguarded half of Malafeev's goal.
A second before half-time was necessary to seriously unnerve the Russian champions and almost arrived when Gerrard drilled a free-kick to the back post. Agger was primed to pounce until Anyukov glanced the ball clear. Back came Zenit. Carragher denied Hulk with an outstretched leg inside the area, the Brazilian then picked out Danny with a delightful pass but the striker volleyed just wide.
With two minutes remaining in the first half the tie and the comeback was alive for Liverpool. José Enrique exchanged passes with Henderson down the left and, from the byline, crossed onto the head of Joe Allen at close range. Malafeev saved the header but Allen converted the rebound to score the first goal of his Liverpool career. Zenit's central defender Lombaerts was also injured in the build-up and failed to reappear for the second half.
There was no virtue in patience after the interval and Liverpool tore into a Zenit team that had won just one of its last nine European away fixtures. Rodgers' team could easily have had a penalty within five minutes of the restart when Tomas Hubocan stooped to clear a Suárez header into the area and appeared to use his arm. Again the referee said no.
Kuipers did agree with Suárez's appeal for a free-kick following a trip by Neto 25 yards from the Zenit goal. Liverpool's number seven again took over the set-piece duties from Gerrard and Anfield erupted as he delivered a stunning finish that curled inside Malafeev's left-hand post. Amid the pandemonium Rodgers introduced Jonjo Shelvey and Oussama Assaidi as Liverpool went all-out for an astonishing victory. They received equal encouragement from Neto, the Zenit weak link in both legs, who continued to concede dangerous free-kicks and was grateful for Malafeev's stop from another Suárez set-piece.
The Zenit keeper was also equal to a Gerrard half-volley as the pressure mounted, although it was not all one way and Reina produced a vital low save to prevent Hulk killing Liverpool's hopes of recovery. But it was not to be.