On a night of one historic achievement for Liverpool, injury-time drama in Lisbon meant they will have to wait a little longer for another. As they surpassed the defensive efforts of any of their European Cup-winning teams, they booked a place in the last 16 of the new-look Champions League. It took an improbable comeback by Barcelona against Benfica to mean they still need another point to become the inaugural winners of the 36-team group stage. There is no trophy for it, but it would be a notable feat nonetheless.

For Arne Slot, a debut European campaign with Liverpool still includes a 100 per cent record. Lille, fellow conquerors of Real Madrid, arrived at Anfield unbeaten in 21 games and were duly defeated 2-1. As Liverpool’s six previous victims came exclusively from Serie A, the Bundesliga and LaLiga, before a ball was kicked in this tournament there were reasons to wonder if they would end up in the play-off round. Instead, with a game to go, they are guaranteed a top-two finish in the pool. A frugal streak has helped: even as Liverpool conceded, they still set a club record, going 599 minutes without being breached in Europe between Christian Pulisic’s strike for AC Milan, three minutes into their campaign, and Jonathan David’s equaliser for Lille.

It was sandwiched by Mohamed Salah’s opener and Harvey Elliott’s winner, goals that may mean the winger gets a night off when Liverpool visit PSV Eindhoven next week, and the midfielder a rare start. Liverpool know now that the rearranged Merseyside derby, which will clash with the play-off games on 12 February, can go ahead. They will have no continental commitments then.

There was a sense from Slot that the job was almost done. He made three changes in his back four, though Kostas Tsimikas, Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah all impressed, brought Elliott on at half-time and gave substitutes Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo their longest runouts in this competition as Liverpool players. With games against Ipswich and PSV next, they may eye other opportunities.

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Yet while they have been bit-part players, this has been a collective effort. Liverpool’s 599-minute shutout came courtesy of two goalkeepers, a duo of right-backs, a pair of left-backs and their four main central defenders. Their previous best, of 572, came for Rafa Benitez’s defence, anchored by Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher, fresh from Champions League glory in 2005.

Two decades on, Liverpool benefited from a Champions League winner in attack. Salah had not scored in his previous three games. He had been quiet in the opening half-hour, one shot aside. Yet he has the capacity to spring to life when he senses an opening. It has been a feature of his season that very few of his goals have come early in games. On 34 minutes, this was one of the quickest. It was taken superbly.

Tsimikas tackled Jonathan David, Curtis Jones played a defence-splitting pass from inside his own half and, with Lucas Chevalier rushing out of his box, Salah curled a first-time finish beyond the goalkeeper.

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There could have been a second from a similarly devastating break. From the edge of his own box, Luis Diaz lofted a pass over the Lille back four. Salah’s first touch was immaculate, to take the ball down. His last was more imprecise, placing his shot just the wrong side of the post. Then Salah, going from muted to rampant, rolled another shot wide. As Chevalier made another ill-advised foray from his line, Quansah headed over the bar.

Lille had offered early evidence of their mettle, starting with the confidence of a team who had not lost for four months. Gabriel Gudmundsson whistled a shot wide after 30 seconds. They nevertheless came back into the game in illogical fashion. Aissa Mandi collected his second yellow card for a tug on Diaz. Perhaps Liverpool lost concentration or gave way temporarily to complacency, but Lille responded.

Liverpool’s record-breaking run ended a minute before the 10-hour mark. David struck after Hakon Amar Haraldsson’s shot was blocked but the Canadian, the matchwinner against both halves of Madrid, slotted in the rebound. It was Lille’s first shot on target.

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Liverpool had a suitable comeback of their own. Tsimikas’ set-pieces posed Lille problems and, after his corner was only cleared as far as Elliott, his half volley was well struck, but the deflection off Ngal’Ayel Mukau meant Chevalier stood no chance.

Darwin Nunez, scorer of two legitimate injury-time goals at Brentford, had one disallowed here for offside and this time, Lille could not fight back. They nevertheless acquitted themselves well even as their own run ended.

Ligue Un has three overachievers in the Champions League, in Lille, Brest and Monaco, albeit overshadowed by a high-profile underachiever, in Paris Saint-Germain. Yet the reward for all three may only be a place in the play-offs. They will not be joined there by Liverpool. Many another club will have to worry about the permutations and the draw but they have sailed into the last 16.

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