The biggest surprise of Liverpool’s epic penalty shoot-out victory over Middlesbrough in Tuesday night’s Capital One Cup tie was not that the home side, who had a 60/40 advantage in the shoot-out before a ball was struck courtesy of kicking first, won, but that Middlesbrough pushed them so close.

For 10 years Alessandro Del Piero has been hyped as the great hope of Italian football only to disappoint on the big stage.