Magnificent scenes of celebration at Anfield. But the intrepid Des Kelly still manages to grab words with some exultant players:
Origi: “This is very special. The coach said we have to create a moment that we can tell our grandchildren and children about.”
Lovren: “It’s an amazing feeling. I think it’s one of the best games in the last 2-3 years. We said we had nothing to lose and just have to believe.”
Sakho: “The most important today is that the team played with heart and the fans never never left us and always always shouted. I think together this is a win for the Liverpol country.”
Updated
Full-time: Liverpool 4-3 Dortmund (Agg: 5-4)
Now that’s entertainment! Dortmund started brilliantly but ended up being blown away by the sort of rousing European comeback for which Liverpool have made themselves famous. Glorious attacking football from both teams on a fun-filled night that does honour to both clubs and also to the oft-maligned Europa League. A tournament that Liverpool are now probably favourites to win. All aboard the Jürgen Klopp bandwagon?
Football is a simple game. 22 men chase the ball for 90 minutes and at the end, Sakho and Lovren score the winners.
Updated
90+ 5 min: Gundgoan goes for goal. It’s a fine attempt ... but just wide of the near post.
90+4 min: Lucas clunks into Schmelzer. Freekick to Dortmund about 25 yards out ... is there another twist?
GOAL! Liverpool 4-3 Dortmund (Lovren 90+1 min) (agg: 5-4)
They’ve won it! What a climax! Liverpool rolled the free kick to Sturridge, who helped it on daintily to Milner, whose corners have been awful but his crosses from open play have been lovely, and none lovelier than this one. Lovren rises high at the far post to head into the net!
Updated
90 min: Freekick to Liverpool for a foul on Clyne by Schmelzer, who’s booked. One last chance to launch one into the box?
89 min: “Attack, attack, attack” roar the Anfield crowd. Allen tries to oblige but his long ball runs behind for a goal kick.
87 min: It’s that time one of Germany’s finest told us about ...
86 min: Frantic defending by Dortmund as Clyne and Sturridge probe around their box. But the Germans keep getting a leg in at the last second to deny the home crowd the climax they crave.
84 min: Milner aims to deliver a freekick from 40 yards into the box. He picks out Lovren in splendid isolation on the left-hand side of it. Lovren suffers a sudden identity crisis and, believing he is Marco Van Basten, tries to rocket a volley into the top corner from 16 yards. Reality bites as the ball flies out of the ground.
82 min: The game continues to be a ding-dong classic. Piszczek whizzes down the right and delivers an inviting cross towards the back post. Aubameyang can’t connect with it.
Dortmund substitutions: Gunogan and Ramos on, Reus and Castro off. Tuchel is scared and trying to batten down the hatches.
Updated
Liverpool substitution: Lucas on, Can off.
79 min: Hummels drags Origi to the ground again, and gets away with it again. It’ll be amazing if Hummels completes the 90 minutes. But even with him on the pitch, Dortmund are creaking. But they’re still ahead on away goals. Liverpool have 11 minutes to pull off another famous European win.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 3-3 Dortmund (Sakho 78) (Agg: 4-4)
Sakho > Hummels. The inspirational French defender comes up from the back for the corner and nods a bouncing ball into the net at the near post! Hummels, since you ask, was hugging Lovren at the time.
Updated
Dortmund substitution: Ginter on, Kagawa off.
76 min: Clyne tries a shot from 30 yards. He’s lucky to get a corner. Milner’s delivery is again diabolical, bringing groans from the Kop. But Liverpool regain the ball and Milner hoiks in a fine cross. Weidenfeller tips it behind for another corner, which will be taken after Can receives treatment for a sore leg.
75 min: Piszczek does a Hummels, clattering Coutinho after being fooled by a reverse pass. He, too, gets a booking.
73 min: Liverpool are now throwing the kitchen sink at it, and the kitchen sink is a Croatian called Lovren. He wins a corner and then awaits a good delivery. But he is let down, as Kagawa makes an easy clearance at the near post.
70 min: Hummels should be sent off! Already on a booking, he pulled back Origi as the striker sprinted into the box and tried to get on the end of a cross by Sturridge. Elegant and effective going forward he may be, but Hummels is a very dodgy defender.
Updated
68 min: Allen, who’s made a big impact since coming on, collects a loose ball and sends it over to Origi. The striker could, and probably should, help it on to the overlapping Moreno but he’s feeling hot tonight so tries to lash it into the net from 25 yards instead. And lo, someone high in the Kop has a souvenir ball.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-3 Dortmund (Coutinho 66) (agg: 3-4)
Goal of the night! Brilliant build-up by Liverpool, a tippy-tappy marvel involving Moreno and Coutinho, then crowned with a low curler into the net from 25 yards!
Updated
63 min: A fine first contribution from Allen, who skips between two opponents to set a Liverpool attack in motion. But Can’s subsequent cross is headed away by Hummels. Liverpool have 27 minutes to score three goals (and avoid conceding any more). If they could do it against Norwich at Carrow Road a few months ago, then surely then ca ... OK, maybe not.
Liverpool substitutions: Allen and Sturridge on, Lallana and Firmino off.
Updated
60 min: Milner blocks an attempted pass by Schmelzer, who jumps into him and wins a freekick. Go figure.
59 min: Milner fires in a corner. Weigl clears it at the front post. Sturridge is sent to warm up...
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 1-3 Dortmund (Reus 57) (agg: 2-4)
That’s a wonderful goal! Hummels strides out from the back and then slides a lovely pass through to Reus, who effortlessly guides it past Mignolet and into the net. So that’s what Hummels meant by keeping cool.
Updated
56 min: Schmelzer bounds down the left and digs out a cross. It finds Kagawa just eight yards from goal! The Japanese’s first touch is a little heavy and Sakho ensures he doesn’t get a second one by stomping over to boot the ball to safety.
54 min: An Origi snapshot from distance misses the target.
53 min: Coutinho nicks the ball past Hummels near half-way and goes to retrieve it on the other side. Hummels shamelessly blocks him and is deservedly booked. Is that what he meant by keeping cool?
Updated
52 min: Hummels gestures to his team-mates to keep their calm amid the gathering Liverpool storm. Klopp, on the other hand, gestures to his players to blow even harder. There’s no telling how this is going to end ...
51 min: Here come Liverpool again. Coutinho finds Origi at the edge of the area. But this time the striker can’t turn past his man, and the danger dies.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 1-2 Dortmund (Origi 48) (Agg: 2-3)
What a start to the second half! Origi’s pace took him past Hummels and, after some nifty play in midfield by Liverpool, allowed him to latch on to a cut through-ball from Can ... and he kept his cool to poke a low shot past the keeper from 20 yards! Anfield is plenty loud now!
Updated
46 min: No changes to either side. Dicey one, really. The temptation to introduce Sturridge must be strong but Liverpool’s attack has functioned well without him, right up to the bit where someone has to stick the ball in the net. “Liverpool look way too fragile and I guess the only spirit of Istanbul we’ll get to see will come from the Turkish referee,” quips Val.
“Hard to watch this and not think of some of the loud glorious nights of Anfield past and remember that back then the atmosphere wasn’t almost all down to the away end,” sobs Thomas Jenkins. “What is going on with this crowd? I could understand that shellshock-start temporarily rendering them mute, but after watching Atletico last night and the magnificent way their fans supported their team - the way they always support their team - watching this is a bit of a comedown. Why do fans shell-out all that money to go to the game if they’re just going to act like they’re in their living room once they’ve got there?” It was rousing stuff early on but sure has tapered off since, mainly because of the frustration of seeing their side play well (after a poxy start) but fluff chances. But as a general point, I’ll say that Premier League crowds have been atomised, by and large.
Half-time: Liverpool 0-2 Dortmund (agg: 1-3)
A perfect start by the visitors, who caught Liverpool dozing and finished their chances superbly, something Liverpool failed to do after taking back the initiative and creating several good chances before the break. But the fact that they created those opportunities, not to mention the spirit of Istanbul and all that, suggests this tie isn’t quite over, even if Dortmund look well capable of scoring again themselves. One thing’s for sure: the second half will be action-packed.
Updated
44 min: Mkhitaryan languidly swings a cross in from the right. Kagawa tries to nudge into the goal at the near post, but Mignolet makes a comfortable save.
42 min: Sakho sticks a cross from Aubameyang behind for a corner. Mkhitaryan takes it short to Castro, and Lallana intervenes to stop the cross from coming in.
40 min: Mkhitaryan creates spaces for himself to shoot from 25 yards, then blasts the ball into the Kop.
39 min: Lovren nods wide from a cross from the right. Another chance spurned by Liverpool.
38 min: Now it’s Countinho and Firmino’s turn to perform a lovely double-act. After a shimmy and pass from the former and a return ball from the latter, Coutinho’s shot from 10 yards is deflected behind for a corner.
36 min: Wonderful interplay between Reus and Aubameyang, who tip-toe their way through the Liverpool defence. Aubemeyang tries to apply the finishing touch but slides the ball wide from 10 yards. Another let-off for Liverpool. With better finishing, this game could have been 4-4 already.
Updated
34 min: After a bout of possession play, Dortmund try to release Aubameyang with a ball over the top. But Mignolet dashes off his line to foil that plan.
31 min: Brilliant run by Castro, who makes a sudden burst past two Liverpool players to gain 20 yards and then offload to the overlapping Piszczek. The fullbacks fires a ball across goal ... and Mignolet’s fingertips take it off the feet off Aubameyang, who was poised to kill the tie!
29 min: Liverpool keep coming, they’re not out of this yet. Firmino dances his way past Schmelzer in the box and then centres. Lallana lets fly but his shot is blocked by a defender.
27 min: Wicked in-swinging cross by Coutinho. Can cocks his leg like a dog about to relieve himself and then, unlike said dog, tries to flick the ball acrobatically into the net. But he misses, which, in fairness, even the dog could have done.
26 min: Dortmund reassert their attacking threat after a period of defensive agitation. Reus offers Aubemeyang a great pass to chase. The Gabon international gets there, but Sakho does superbly to take the ball off him before he can score again.
25 min: More encouragement for Liverpool, laced with frustration. Milner races down the right and delivers an inviting ball into the box. Origi gets the jump on Hummels and tries to flick it into the net. But his connection isn’t quite right and the ball drifts way wide.
24 min: Admirably undeterred by his earlier miss Moreno continues to hurtle forward. He was almost picked out by a pass from Can, but it was fractionally too long.
22 min: Milner takes a short corner (which was well won by Clyne). Moreno’s ensuing cross yields nothing.
20 min: Hummeles messes up, giving the ball away on halfway to allow Liverpool to launch a counterattack. The hosts pour forward and work the ball to Firmino, who twists in the box and then bangs a low ball across to Lallana, who takes a touch, swivels seven yards from goal ... and swipes at fresh air! That’s a terrible miss in any circumstances but particularly when Liverpool are in dire need of goals. They could have had a two in the last few minutes with better finishing. I’ll wager that Sturridge is making that point to someone on the bench right now.
18 min: Lallana slides the ball through to Origi again. he young striker shows composure to buy some time and then clip a fine ball over to Moreno, who is running in near the back post. The Spaniard, however, showed none of Origi’s composure and shanked a wild volley into the stands.
Updated
17 min: Milner spreads the ball wide to Clyne, who slips it infield to Lallana. Origi makes a cut run and is served by Lallana, but the keeper hurtles off his line to make the save. Corner to Liverpool. Cleared easily by Mkhitaryan.
Updated
14 min: Dortmund are allowing Liverpool to have the ball a little now, albeit around half-way. But they remain primed to counterattack as soon as they get it: Liverpool’s challenge is to find the right balance between working their way back into the game and avoiding a humiliation...
Obviously. #lfcbvb 0-2 pic.twitter.com/7WRxJCsb6t
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) April 14, 2016
11 min: Can makes a decent run from deep in his own half, then feeds Lallana, who tries to pick out Firmino with a crossfield pass, but overhits it. Meanwhile, the Dortmund fans jubilate. This start could not have gone much worse for Liverpool. But Dortmund have been brilliant.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 0-2 Dortmund (Aubameyang 11) (agg: 1-3)
Lovely run and pass behind Sakho by Reus. Aubaemyang charges on to it and smashes an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from 15 yards. What a start by the Germans, and what a pain for Liverpool, who now need to score three times to advance - and that’s providing they don’t concede any more.
Updated
7 min: Nice work by Lallana, winning possession back on half way. But Liverpool can’t hang on to it at the moment. Within seconds Dortmund have the ball back and are romping towards the Liverpool box again. Liverpool deal with it this time.
GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Dortmund (Mkhitaryan 5) (agg: 1-2)
That all came from Coutinho playing a loose ball in Dortmund territory, enabling the visitors to launch a devastating counter-attack. Mignolet made a fine save to deny Aubameyang, who had been picked out by a smart dink over the outnumbered Sakho, but the ball fell kindly to Mkihtaryan, who knocked it into the empty net from close range.
Updated
4 min: Aubameyang collects the ball at the edge of the area with his back to goal. He performs a smart turn and then tries to curl the ball around Lovren and into the far corner, but it never looked like going in.
3 min: An early sign that Sakho may be on song again as he is well positioned to turn away a Kagawa cross at the near post.
2 min: Dortmund’s intentions are clear: they’re piling forward at speed and in big numbers, but without making any inroads so far as Liverpool hold firm.
1 min: Origi rolls the ball to Milner ... and the show has commenced!
One minute's silence
In memory of the 96 victims of the Hillsbrough tragedy, 27 years ago tomorrow, each team locks arms around the centre circle and every fan in the stadium stands in silence.
Updated
Here come the teams and they are dressed as they should be: Liverpool all in red, Dortmund in yellow and black.
We are now being treated to a magnificent rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone, with both sets of fans giving it socks! Feel free to stand up wherever you are and sing along to get in the mood. Don’t let your boss put you off.
Updated
Memory Lane
As you are aware, these two clubs faced each other in the 1966 Cup Winners’ Cup final, which Dortmund won 2-1. Here is an excerpt from Eric Todd’s report on that game in the Guardian.
Five minutes later Thompson, now on the right wing, beat Redder and centred from the deadball line. In the meantime one of the linesman had waved his flag but the referee waved play on and Hunt drove the ball home. Immediately there was pandemonium. While the German players were arguing with the referee, scores of Liverpool supporters rushed on to the field followed closely by a fair-sized contingent of police and after one or two scuffles, the police were able to report a victory.
Klopp to TV’s Des Kelly: “Hopefully the crowd is more help than the away goal because I don’t understand football in that way where you only think about not conceding a goal. It’s about doing the best in each moment and trying to score and not do the lowest level that you have to do to go through. I’m not sure but I’m pretty confident that we can show a lot tonight. I don’t know if you have been outside the stadium, it’s my first time seeing something like that, it’s outstanding, we all had goosebumps.”
And on his team selection, this gem: “The squad is so strong that even Kolo Touré, in his 280th spring, is not in it.”
Updated
Atmosphere
It’s building nicely around Anfield, which is festooned in flags, including big black and yellow ones from the 3,000 visitors. And the noise is delightful.
Updated
You’ve got to love Jurgen Klopp: the TV is now showing footage of him arriving at Anfield and pulling all manner of jubilant faces as he poses for photos with fans. Football, it’s fun!
Tuchel speaks to BT: “We will be more attacking. And looking at the Liverpool lineup I don’t think it will be 0-0 - there will be goals.” Yes please!
Updated
Point of order:
The following Liverpool players are a booking away from missing the first leg of the semi-final, if their team gets there: Coutinho, Firmino, Clyne, Lovren and Moreno. Only Dortmunders face similar woe: Bender and Sokraitis.
Updated
“I’m ignorant,” confesses Rob Kavanagh. “Can you tell me anything about Weigl’s game? Curious how you see midfields matching up.” He’s the cog, the main difference between the Dortmund of Tuchel and that of Klopp insofar as he enables them to enjoy more possession. Origi did a good job dropping back to harass him last week and will probably be expected to do so again. Sturridge wouldn’t be so hot on that.
Updated
Preamble:
Hello and welcome to what promises to be a humdinger of a second leg rich in action and consequences. But first, an appeal: could any Premier League club that does not intend embracing such Europa League encounters if they qualify for next season’s tournament just give up playing football right now? Thanks.
Now then, just look what we have here: two of the most entertaining teams in Europe locked in heady combat and preparing to settle the matter like champs, going toe to toe and seeing who packs the bigger punch and, just as pertinently, who has the better defence. Can Jurgen Klopp devise another masterplan to pester his old team into uncharacteristic bluntness and how Thomas Tuchel who’s boss? Or will Dortmund make Liverpool regret not taking more advantage of a rare under-performance by the Germans last week? Both Klopp and Tuchel say they expect Dortmund to regain their groove after being outmanoeuvred for much of last week’s match, and that means Liverpool will have to raise their game even higher. Do Dejan Loren and Mamadou Sakho have that in them? And does Divock Origi? The young Belgian has been given a powerful show of trust by being chosen ahead of Sturridge: further evidence that total dynamism is a non-negotiable for Klopp, and the manager suspects that Origi’s speed can trouble Hummels again. Throw in Firmino, too, and Liverpool have the wherewithal to do even more damage that they did last week. But so do Dortmund, who have included Kagawa instead of Durm following the former Manchester United player’s silky goal in the Ruhr derby last weekend. The other Dortund change from last week is Sokratis in place of Bender.
Dortmund are still in the German Cup but this competition is their main remaining target for the season. For Liverpool, it is the only one. Klopp’s men have trounced the reigning Premier League champions Chelsea this season, walloped Champions League semi-finalists Manchester City and comfortably disposed of Manchester United in the clubs’ first ever European engagement, but victory tonight would be Klopp’s biggest achievement to date at Liverpool and the surest indication yet that he’s the man to restore the club to something akin to their former glory. Defeat would not rule that out, of course, but it would be a serious downer, that’s for sure.
Updated
Teams:
Liverpool: Mignolet; Clyne, Sakho, Lovren, Moreno; Can, Milner; Lallana, Firmino, Coutinho; Origi
Subs: Ward, Skrtel, Smith, Allen, Sturridge, Ojo, Lucas
Dortmund: Weidenfeller; Piszczek, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer; Weigl, Castro; Mkhitaryan, Kagawa, Reus; Aubameyang
Subs: Bürki, Ginter, Sahin, Gündogan, Ramos, Pulisic, Bender
Referee: C Cakir (Turkey)
Updated
