It was 2005 when Liverpool made an amazing comeback and won the UEFA Champions League against Milan in Istanbul. It was a historic night for all fans, but nobody thought that the successive triumph would come only in 2019. This victory, after such a long wait, was a testament to the team’s perseverance and determination.
When Jurgen Klopp took command of the team in 2015, Liverpool began to improve in all aspects, including the quality of the game, and it immediately had positive results. Liverpool made it to the Champions League final in 2018 but lost to Real Madrid 1:3. A year later, the team won the trophy in convincing fashion by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2:0. How did that happen? What factors became crucial to make this victory happen? Let’s get back to the 2018/2019 season, understand.
Group of Death
Liverpool found themselves in a challenging group, facing strong opponents Napoli and PSG, along with the underdogs Red Star (Crvena Zvezda). The opening match against PSG at Anfield was a dramatic affair, with Liverpool emerging victorious with a 3:2 score line. However, the second match in Italy against Napoli ended in a disappointing defeat. Carlo Ancelotti’s experience proved crucial as he found a way to neutralize Salah, Firmino, and Mane, leading his team to a 1-0 victory.
After that, the Reds had two matches against Red Star. If the first home game ended with a 4:0 victory, the second match was disappointing. Liverpool considered two goals and wasn’t able to strike back, so it ended with a defeat. Fifth tour, and a game against PSG in Paris. Rapid start from the home side with two goals from Bernat and Neymar. At the end of the first half, James Milner got one goal back from a penalty spot, but it wasn’t enough. In the last game, Liverpool needed a win against Napoli to book a place in the last 16. Mohamed Salah scored a wonderful solo goal, and Alisson made a couple of great saves to secure a victory. Liverpool went through on a goal difference.
Liverpool vs. Bayern Munich
You don’t even need a professional essay writing service to understand that Bayern Munich is a tough opponent, and beating it even in a two-match clash won’t be easy. This statement was confirmed in the first match at Anfield as everything ended 0:0. Later, teams came face-to-face in Munich in March. It was 1:1 when Liverpool earned a corner, and Virgil Van Dijk got the ball to make it 2:1 for the English side. Later, Sadio Mane scored his second goal of the night, which was to make it to 3:1 and proceed to quarterfinals.
Liverpool vs. Porto
These two teams faced each other in the round of 16 the previous season, and Liverpool crushed their opponents 5:0. This year, there weren’t any fundamental changes. The English team won 2:0 in the first game and was confident before the second match due to a successful run in the Premier League. Moreover, the team leaders were at their best, so nobody could understand how the Porto defenders would stop them. The second match ended with a 4:1 victory for Liverpool, who advanced to the semi-final.
Liverpool vs. Barcelona
The Spanish side had a successful reign in La Liga, where they were heading to the second straight league title. Ernesto Valverde created a disciplined team with a good balance between attack and defense. They only lost four matches during the 2017/2018 season, and the following campaign was highly successful, as they didn’t lose a single game in the Champions League. Still, analytics gave Liverpool a slight advantage.
The first match at Camp Nou started as expected. Liverpool put pressure on the home side, so Barcelona felt uncomfortable and wasn’t able to play there in their usual style. Still, after the first minutes, they found a way to overcome that pressure and started creating moments. One of them was made for Luis Suarez, a former Liverpool striker. He found the net after the cross from Jordi Alba and opened the scoring. After that, the English team maximized their pressure as they could shoot on target, which created trouble for Marc Andre Ter Stegen.
However, it didn’t give the desired result, as Barcelona took control of the ball and scored the second goal. Lionel Messi caught the ball after a failed shot and smashed it into the net. Later, Barcelona was given a free kick, and Messi scored an unbelievable goal from nearly 30 meters. 3:0.
The second game at Anfield seemed tough because Firmino and Salah were out, and Origi and Shaquiri, who were replacing them, didn’t have much playtime during the season. Moreover, Barcelona gave all key players time to rest because the game in the national championship was played by the reservists.
Despite all expectations, Liverpool started with an early goal by Divock Origi. Barcelona was shocked, but they started responding with shots from Messi, Suarez, and Coutinho. A couple of good saves from Alisson saved the home side from the goal. In the second half, Liverpool was able to put more pressure on their opponents and transformed it into a goal. The substituted Georginio Wijnaldum scored two goals within ten minutes, making it 3:0 in the game and 3:3 on aggregate.
The icing on the cake came from Trent-Alexander Arnold. He faked coming from the corner kick but then quickly came back and spotted the run of Divock Origi, who smashed the ball into the net. It was 4:0, and Liverpool was able to keep this score till the final whistle.
Final Game
The Champions League final in Madrid started unexpectedly because Liverpool was given a penalty because of a handball by a Tottenham player. Mohamed Salah came to the spot to score in convincing fashion and give Liverpool the lead. After that, the Reds were putting pressure on their opponents but did it wisely without too much effort. Tottenham had their chances, but the defense did the job well. At the end of the second half, Origi scored the second goal, which was a complete heartbreak for Spurs. A 2:0 victory brought Liverpool to their sixth Champions League trophy and made them the best team in Europe.
