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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Ian Doyle

Jurgen Klopp gives Liverpool their greatest ever Anfield night with win against Barcelona

Liverpool staged the most remarkable comeback in Champions League history last night as they overturned a 3-0 deficit to defeat Barcelona at Anfield.

Goals from Gini Wijnaldum and Divock Origi secured a thrilling 4-0 victory as Liverpool booked their place in the final in Madrid on June 1.

The Reds will now contest their second consecutive Champions League final against either Ajax or Spurs. Klopp will be hoping to guide his team to a sixth European Cup.

Ian Doyle tried to make sense of it all after the final whistle blew last night:

What just happened? What on earth just happened?

You could see it in the body language of the shell-shocked Barcelona players as they traipsed, dazed and confused, from the Anfield turf.

You could see it in the faces of the Liverpool players as they celebrated manically in front of the Kop, barely able to take in what they had just achieved.

And you could hear it in the voices of the ecstatic home supporters as they cheered and chanted their salute of Barcelona incinerated by the power of Anfield as Jurgen Klopp inspires Liverpool's greatest comeback

Liverpool v Barcelona player ratings as substitute Gini Wijnaldum achieves perfection in Champions League semi-final miracle  

Scrap that. This wasn't just another famous European night.

This is THE new, defining European night, surpassing Inter Milan, Saint-Etienne, Olympiakos, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and absolutely everything else.

It was enough to move James Milner, a player who has seen a fair bit during his lengthy career, to tears after the match.

Liverpool were barely given a chance after, having lost the first leg 3-0, they saw Roberto Firmino and then Mohamed Salah drop out through injury.

But Salah, spotted walking around the Anfield pitch before the game, set the tone with a t-shirt emblazoned with the phrase: “Never give up.”

Barcelona's 'arrogant' tweet goes viral after Liverpool comeback - here's why  

Trent Alexander-Arnold had called on those coming in to replace the duo to make themselves new heroes.

Xherdan Shaqiri, with a hand in two goals, did his bit. Divock Origi, with a brace including the memorable, unforgettable winner, more than contributed.

They were all heroes, every single Liverpool player. But nobody, over the course of the 90 minutes, could compare to Alexander-Arnold.

Liverpool celebrate after the UEFA Champions League Semi Final, second leg match at Anfield (PA)

Indeed, it was the youngster's speed of thought and awareness that prompted the winner 11 minutes from time, feigning to walk away from a corner from the right before swiftly delivering a low cross for the alert Origi to finish expertly from close range.

Barcelona, their defence out of position, were asleep. Alexander-Arnold wasn't.

He'd already crossed for substitute Gini Wijnaldum to score the first of his two goals, a key moment that sparked the Reds after the interval.

Barcelona incinerated by the power of Anfield as Jurgen Klopp inspires Liverpool's greatest comeback  

It's incredible to consider that, given this performance of such maturity and talent, Alexander-Arnold is still only 20 years old, the right-back only just getting started on his hopefully long career.

What just happened? What on earth just happened?

Liverpool happened. Anfield happened. Alexander-Arnold happened.

And this remarkable team are in another Champions League final. What a night.

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