Real sauntered through the match, scoring twice before half time thanks to a delicate chip from Cristiano Ronaldo after a Mesut Ozil through pass, added to by Karim Benzema who finished smartly at the back post.

Substitute Gonzalo Higuain grabbed the third, nodding home from Xabi Alonso’s free kick as Real landed one foot firmly in the semi-finals ahead of their trip to Turkey for the return leg.

Mourinho’s former charge Didider Drogba went close on several occasions but Wesley Sneijder was substituted at half time after cutting a peripheral figure in the first 45 minutes.

Mourinho told Sky Sports: “I think we played seriously. The Spanish press were not so respectful in relation to Galatasaray but we were very respectful.

“We knew they were a good team with fantastic strikers; they had danger and we prepared very well from a defensive point of view.

“We defended better than we attacked because in attacking terms I think we lost the last ball, the last pass, we had easy transitions – three against three, three against four – we could have scored more goals.”

Asked whether the tie was effectively over Mourinho replied: “If you score a goal they have to score five. I think the result is very good but in football I saw so many incredible things that nothing can surprise me and Istanbul is a difficult place to play.

“They have players with lots of experience, players with character, I think they will fight very hard against us. We have to go there very seriously because it is the only way to go through.”

As for his reunion with Drogba and Sneijder, Mourinho added: “I was with them at the end of the match, (Didier) and Wesley. They are family – they weren’t during 90 minutes but they are family.”

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Despite having failed to properly test goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev with a number of chances the Reds seemed to be managing to hold on in their last-32 Europa League first-leg tie in the sub-zero Petrovsky Stadium.

But with 20 minutes remaining, Hulk powered home a brilliant 30-yard strike before substitute Sergei Semak converted from close-range moments later.

Liverpool — and in particular top scorer Luis Suarez — will have to rediscover their shooting boots for the return leg next week otherwise their last chance of a trophy this season will be lost.

For that reason, he selected virtually a full-strength side with captain Steven Gerrard starting his first away game in Europe this season.

The Russian champions fed off the fervor of their fans and displayed a sharpness which defied their two months without a competitive match as both striker Alexander Kerzhakov and Hulk, the latter from distance, were denied early on by Jose Reina.

In between, Suarez responded by turning Nicolas Lombaerts and rolling a shot past goalkeeper Malafeev and across goal but wide of the far post.

The Belgian defender was not having the best of nights as he then inexplicably passed the ball to Suarez who drove into the area, rounded Malafeev but was denied from a narrow angle as Lombaerts recovered to block.

However, Liverpool, in trying to play a cagey European-style game, sank further back into their own half and it only served to invite on the hosts who saw Danny’s header easily saved and Hulk hit the post.

The Reds’ attacking was sporadic at best on a pitch cutting up badly but five minutes before halftime, Suarez almost pinched a cheeky goal when the Zenit defense got themselves in a mess and Suarez backheeled Sterling’s low cross just wide.

Johnson had a shot blocked by Malafeev after a long, driving run early in the second half while Suarez fired wide again as Liverpool could not find a clinical edge inside the penalty area.

It was a failing which cost the Reds dearly on Monday as they were caught cold by West Brom, who scored twice late on at Anfield.

While they had not had the same dominance as they enjoyed against the Baggies, they were not exactly in trouble — and that was when they were exposed.

With 20 minutes to go Jordan Henderson was dispossessed and Hulk, who had previously threatened without being worryingly dangerous, smashed one in to give Reina no chance.

But the defending for the second goal less than three minutes later raised plenty of questions as right back Alexander Anyukov’s low cross was drilled home at the far post by Semak.

Gerrard’s free kick forced a low save from Malafeev but no-one was on hand to capitalize on the rebound but Liverpool appeared to still be going backwards rather than forwards.

It encouraged Zenit to go for what would surely have been the killer third and Viktor Fayzulin saw his long-range effort deflected narrowly wide.

Liverpool will require a much-improved performance in a week’s time if it is to turn around the deficit and keep its quest for silverware alive.

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