On an evening which would end Liverpool's wretched run of form, Tuesday's win against RB Leipzig began in familiar fashion. It didn't take long for Thiago Alcantara to commit his first foul - 54 seconds in fact.
In a side which could barely be improved following a record-breaking season, Thiago's arrival last summer was meant to be the final piece in this triumphant Liverpool jigsaw.
Fresh from winning a treble at Bayern Munich, he was the ace in the pack, capable of dictating an entire contest at his own pace and splitting open defences with ease.