With Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah ruled out, no one could have expected the magic that happen tonight, but it no longer a news Liverpool has repeated what he has done before in 2005, in a one of its kind come back. This victory ranks up with alongside that glorious night in Instanbul in 2005 as they reversed a three-goal margin to beat AC Milan to lift the trophy – even for a club with the Reds’ incredible continental history, this shapes as one of the most incredible of all time.
In one of the craziest matches you’ll ever see, Divock Origi and Giorginio Wijnaldum each scored twice to reverse a three-goal first leg deficit and dump Lionel Messi and co. out of Europe in the most staggering fashion possible.
It all began with a lineup many analysts consider too shaky and too risky to against the Spanish giant Barcelona. Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi come into the attack alongside Sadio Mane. Elsewhere, James Milner begins in midfield and Joel Matip is restored in defense.
Origi gave them the dream start in just the seventh minute to provide a glimmer of hope for this magisterial comeback. But as Alisson made some big stops to deny Messi, Luis Suarez and others in the first half few dreamed this was possible.
As it turned out, this team defied the odds as they have done so often this season, to find another gear and get the job done. An injury to Andy Robertson looked likely to end their hopes, as the Scot was replaced at halftime following a collision with Luis Suarez – but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
His replacement, Giorginio Wijnaldum, went on to write himself into Anfield folklore with two goals in the space of three minutes to send the home crowd into rapture. The first saw him connect with venom to find the net from close range from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross as the ball squirmed perilously under Marc Andre Ter Stegen. The second was a stunning header, that nestled the ball in the top corner to rock Barcelona to their core. Incredibly both came in the same minutes that the Reds scored in Istanbul.
And finally, the miracle was completed in the 79th minute in controversial fashion as unlikely hero Origi crowned one of the greatest showings we’ve ever seen. Alexander-Arnold took a quick corner to catch the defence sleeping, and the Belgian kept his cool to slot the ball calmly into the top corner and land one of the craziest comebacks you’ll ever see.
