This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Last year’s Champions League run was magnificent from Liverpool.
They found themselves in a difficult group, being drawn alongside both Napoli and PSG. Their attempts to qualify for the next round took them to the sixth and final matchday, and they made it through thanks to a 1-0 victory against the Serie A side.
They then faced Bayern Munich – who they beat 3-1 on aggregate after a fantastic display in the Allianz Arena in the second leg – before easily dispatching Porto 6-1 over two matches in the quarter-finals. Next up, they faced La Liga giants Barcelona in their toughest test of the tournament.
In the first match at the Camp Nou, they were put to the sword by the Catalan club. Led by the ever-magnificent Lionel Messi – he bagged himself a brace, including a quite stunning free-kick – the Blaugrana won 3-0, and it looked as though they had booked their place in the final after just 90 minutes.
That looked even more certain when it was confirmed that Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino would miss the return match through injury. However, you discount the Reds at your peril. In an exhilarating game, Liverpool not only levelled things up, but passed their opponents by winning 4-0, sending Anfield into raptures. From the jaws of defeat, they had somehow snatched victory.
After the match, Klopp and the Liverpool players sang the club’s famous anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone, in unison with, and in front of the Kop. It was a beautiful experience for all involved, and it has now even won the Great Coaching Moment of the Year award.
The Merseyside club then went on to win the trophy, beating Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid. Whilst that showpiece will live long in the memory, the match itself was something of an anti-climax. Klopp’s team scored early on, and then controlled the match until Divock Origi put the game beyond doubt in the final minutes. Arguably, that semi-final was better than the final.
That seems an incredibly thing to say considering the clash in Spain ended in a trophy, but just look at the way Liverpool came back against Barca, and the improvised actions of the 52-year-old boss after the match. It was no doubt one of the best comebacks in the competition’s history, and you could see after the match had ended just how much it meant to the players. Fabinho, the defensive midfielder, was even in tears as he faced the supporters.
Much harder than you’d think… Can you name Liverpool’s top scorers for each of these 25 seasons?
Sure, winning the trophy was great, but even that couldn’t top that night against Messi and Co. It may even live longer in the memory than the actual final match itself.
In other news, one on-loan Liverpool man is struggling to impress.