FeatureExplained: The gift received when Liverpool first met Atletico Madrid
They are now considered familiar European foes, but it was not until October 22, 2008 that Liverpool and Atletico Madrid ever clashed competitively.
Drawn together in the group stage of the 2008-09 Champions League, Atletico's former home, the Vicente Calderon, was the venue.
Pictured below is the gift presented by the Spanish club to the Reds to mark the occasion.
The piece is a textured, silver-toned metal sculpture of El Oso y el Madrono (The Bear and the Strawberry Tree), the iconic coat of arms that represents the city of Madrid.
Atleti first incorporated the emblem into their club crest in 1917, as a reflection of civic pride and their deep-rooted connection to the local community.
Mounted on a tiered, black wooden plinth, the 25-centimetre-tall commemorative figurine is accompanied by a silver plaque engraved with details of the fixture, which took place on matchday three.
Both teams entered the contest boasting perfect records, and Liverpool struck first when high-profile summer signing Robbie Keane opened the scoring after 14 minutes.
Atletico, featuring former Reds attackers Luis Garcia and Florent Sinama-Pongolle in their line-up, responded through Simao Sabrosa, whose late equaliser forced a draw.
A fortnight later, the return fixture at Anfield also finished 1-1.
Future Kop favourite Maxi Rodriguez found the net for the visitors as both clubs maintained their unbeaten records and progressed comfortably to the knockout stage, with Liverpool ultimately topping the group by two points.
Atletico's European campaign came to an end in the Round of 16, where they were eliminated by FC Porto on away goals, while the Reds emphatically defeated Real Madrid over two legs before bowing out at the quarter-final stage.
Since those inaugural competitive meetings in 2008, Liverpool and Atletico have faced each other a further seven times in European competition.
But the distinctive memento from the first encounter serves as a lasting reminder of where and when this modern continental rivalry began.
This article has been reproduced from Wednesday's official matchday programme.
- To visit the new and improved LFC Museum, which is included in all Anfield tours and experiences, book via liverpoolfc.com/stadium-tours