In the middle of the afternoon a group of Liverpool fans gathered in Madrid’s grand Plaza Mayor where a game of football broke out. Soon the police turned up, impromptu defenders for this kickabout on the cobbles. The fans seemed to be enjoying it until a policeman with dark glasses and a beret pulled out a knife and burst their ball. A few hours later Brendan Rodgers did much the same, or so it seemed. In fact, the response was rather more positive.

Curiously, the story broke in the Spanish media. On Monday morning staff at Madrid’s Valdebebas HQ asked if Liverpool would really field a weakened team. “Nah,” came the response, but the response was wrong. By Monday night there was a hint when Rodgers suggested that he would rest Gerrard, and the following afternoon the rumour spread. The team sheet confirmed it.

This is Europe’s top competition and the Bernabéu arguably its grandest arena, but Rodgers had chosen what looked more like a Capital One Cup team. Liverpool supporters packed the upper north stand and thousands spread around the Bernabéu. A banner unfurled at the other end ran “Welcome Liverpool supporters. Great clubs have great fans”. They might be entitled to expect great teams too.

Moralising would be too much. A manager must be permitted to pick any side he considers opportune, while dismissing professional players is both risky and unfair. And supporters still chanted Rodgers’ name early on; there was no rebellion and by the end there was much respect.

But some were initially deflated, a bit baffled by a line-up they felt did not reciprocate the effort they had taken to be there. The Spanish also struggled to understand. When Gerrard was introduced with 21 minutes left there was applause from Liverpool fans … and from Madrid’s. They wanted to see him too; they felt the occasion deserved him and he it.

Kolo Touré, Lucas Leiva, Emre Can, Lazar Markovic and Fabio Borini were all included, though none have started more than two league games this season. Dejan Lovren, Steven Gerrard, Mario Balotelli, Raheem Stirling, Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho had played every previous Champions League match this season, but none started. The substitutes had made more Champions League appearances than the starters.

If there was little optimism before, there was less now. Perhaps that was part of the point. As Homer Simpson said: “Can’t win, don’t try.” Rodgers implied that defeat was no more inevitable with this team than the one that had lost 3-0 at Anfield. He had a point when he said: “Our form this season has been nowhere near the level we set over 18 months so it’s probably hard to pick what would be our best team at the moment.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Brendan Rodgers and Carlo Ancelotti react after Tuesday night’s game.

Priorities also lay elsewhere. Liverpool host Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime and Rodgers may have judged that qualification from this group will rest on the remaining two games, not this one.

Two wins should still see them through. Besides, beforehand Rodgers insisted that he had not thrown in the towel. “I think we’ve got a strong team out. We’re certainly not forfeiting the game,” he said. “We’ve got nine full internationals and two Under-21 internationals. The last game we won … a lot of these players played.”

Rodgers may have felt the need to rest players, with Gerrard among those who have looked tired. And his words and his line-up seemed to offer both warning and opportunity, a way of motivating players and reimposing authority. The attitude of his team suggested that he had succeeded. Ultimately the efficacy of his decision will be judged on results: not just here, but on Saturday and in Liverpool’s final group games. Resting players does not necessarily guarantee a reward and there could yet be unexpected fallout, but the message was positive post-match.

Lucas made a case for his inclusion; Simon Mignolet made saves; Kolo Touré and Alberto Moreno both went on impressive runs and there were moments when it looked like Liverpool might break, even if rarely. At the other end they resisted for four minutes longer than they had at Anfield: 27 had gone when Karim Benzema scored.

Until then they had handled an exceptional side reasonably well, but “resist” was the word. By half-time Liverpool trailed and had not taken a shot on goal, while Madrid had taken 13. Their first shot came – from Moreno after 55 minutes and 42 seconds, and it was followed by another from Adam Lallana. Neither truly threatened. By the final whistle Madrid had taken 27 shots, Liverpool four. They had competed but that did not mean being close to victory.

With Gareth Bale on as a substitute and hitting the bar it was still only 1-0 at the end, closer than at Anfield when Liverpool fielded a “stronger” side – and they had prevented Cristiano Ronaldo from achieving the apparently inevitable: he will have to wait to become the Champions League’s all-time top-scorer. Afterwards there was pride and satisfaction, a renewed sense of worth. Some vindication even. Liverpool left with no points when one might have strengthened their position in the group, but the exercise had not been entirely pointless.

Perhaps that was the aim: damage-limitation. But if the damage was limited, it was done. It was done a fortnight ago.