Liverpool left Saint-Étienne with a one-goal deficit on 2 March 1977, Dominique Bathenay settling the first leg of their European Cup quarter-final late in the second half. Bob Paisley's side had kept the game goalless beyond the hour, but returned from France without either a draw or an away goal.
The opposition's European standing was well established. Saint-Étienne had reached the previous season's final at Hampden Park, where Bayern Munich beat them 1–0. Now Robert Herbin's team were trying to return to that stage, with Liverpool standing between them and another semi-final.
Paisley had a significant absence to accommodate. Kevin Keegan travelled with the squad, but his injury did not clear sufficiently for him to play. He was not among the substitutes either. Terry McDermott started in a side which also included John Toshack, Steve Heighway and Jimmy Case, with Emlyn Hughes wearing the captain's armband.
Ray Clemence had Phil Neal, Joey Jones and Phil Thompson among those in front of him. Liverpool reached half-time at 0–0, leaving the second half to determine whether either side would carry an advantage into the return match. Bathenay eventually provided it, scoring with little more than ten minutes remaining.
David Johnson replaced Toshack in the closing stages, but Liverpool could not find an equaliser. The margin stayed at one: enough for Saint-Étienne to lead the tie, although not enough to settle it before the visit to Anfield.
Liverpool had already recovered from precisely that first-leg score in the previous round. A 1–0 defeat at Trabzonspor had been followed by a 3–0 home victory. That was a useful precedent, not a guarantee against opponents who had been European finalists less than a year earlier.
There were three league fixtures to play before the second leg on 16 March. The European task awaiting Liverpool was clear. They had to overturn the deficit at Anfield, and having failed to score in France, would also have to reckon with the consequences of any Saint-Étienne away goal.