Down to 10 men against exuberant Portuguese champions, when Jermaine Pennant invited a needless red card in the 58th minute, they can take heart from a resilient second-half display and a point from arguably their toughest assignment in Group A. Several Porto players sank to the turf in torment on the final whistle but Liverpool should have been on their knees long before. They will have to improve immeasurably if genuine hopes are to be maintained of a Moscow final in May.
"I honestly don't know why we started so badly," said Benítez, his obvious relief a stark contrast to the frustrated Porto manager, Jesualdo Ferreira. "We gave the ball away too easily, made so many mistakes, but we showed a lot of character with 10 men and it is not easy against a good Porto team with pace and ability."
So bad was Liverpool's opening it was tempting to believe their change in fortunes this season has not been confined to an improved domestic campaign, or that they have become fixated on the Premier League title at the expense of all other trophies. Benítez's team were unrecognisable from the disciplined unit that has reached two Champions League finals in the past three seasons and began as they have never performed on the continent under the Spaniard before, shambolically.
Porto took the lead from the penalty spot in the eighth minute but it is no exaggeration to suggest that should have been their third of the night. Though shorn of £50m worth of talent in the summer, the Portuguese club's eye for technically accomplished, skilful talent has not diminished and in Lucho González, the target of an £11m bid from Everton this summer, and Ricardo Quaresma they possessed the game's outstanding contributors.
Captain González, all measured passes and with supreme awareness, horribly exposed the lack of pace in Sami Hyypia with a weighted ball behind the veteran Finland international, who turns 34 next month and who reacted accordingly. Though favourite to intervene, Hyypia was beaten over five yards by Tarik Sektioui, who was tripped by Jose Reina as he attempted to round the Liverpool goalkeeper for a spot-kick that prompted no argument before being coolly despatched.
Reina had earlier saved impressively at close range from Lisandro Lopez when a Steve Finnan clearance was deflected by Quaresma, who volleyed just over the angle as the visiting defence was hesitant, and then the centre-half Bruno Alves headed a fine opportunity wide from a well-worked free-kick.
Careless in possession and with Fernando Torres anonymous in attack on his Champions League debut, save for a late booking, Liverpool had no outlet to relieve the incessant Porto pressure and yet, as they have done so often in the past, they found a release to their woes when Hyypia headed Finnan's free-kick back across goal, Joao Paulo missed his clearance, and Dirk Kuyt stooped to head an equaliser. The goal came from an identical position to the Dutchman's consolation against Milan in last season's final, and was to be the only attempt on target by Liverpool all night. Porto had 14. "We were superior against 11 men and we were superior against 10," bemoaned Ferreira. "A draw is a good result against a team like Liverpool, but we should have won."
The relief of the equaliser brought improvement to Liverpool's football but they self-imploded when Pennant was dismissed. Benítez had intended to deploy Steven Gerrard on the right of midfield in an effort to quell Quaresma but with Xabi Alonso and Mohamed Sissoko absent the Liverpool manager had to field the winger in a more expansive team than he would have preferred away in Europe.
Weakened in numbers and weak in performance, Liverpool could ill-afford to lose their discipline too, but Pennant did not heed the call. Chasing a harmless ball from Javier Mascherano out of play, the midfielder, booked for a foul on Quaresma in the first half, slid through the back of Fucile, and though the Porto left-back went to ridiculous extremes to roll towards the advertising hoardings, the referee, Lubos Michel, had been invited to show red.
"It was a mistake and Jermaine must learn from it," said Benítez. "We had told him to stay on his feet and he didn't need to make the challenge." Mercifully for Liverpool their defence eventually rediscovered its famed resilience, Hyypia atoning when he hooked off the goalline from Quaresma, and Porto petered out. Liverpool had been granted a reprieve.