Losing 2-4 to Roma, Liverpool still enters Champions League final to face Real
The English team won 7-6 on aggregate after losing 2-4 to Roma in the second leg on the evening of May 2.
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Wijnaldum (left) celebrates with centre-back Van Dijk after the match. Photo:AFP |
Goals: Milner own goal 15', Dzeko 52', Nainggolan 86', penalty 90'+4 - Mane 9', Wijnaldum 25'
After 11 years of waiting, Liverpool once again entered the Champions League final. However, unlike Benitez's previous calculating style of play, Liverpool have dedicated this year's season to a rain of goals.
Klopp's side overcame Roma 7-6 on aggregate. It was the highest-scoring semi-final in Champions League history, surpassing the previous record of 10 goals between Monaco and Juventus in 1998.
Liverpool punished Roma in the ninth minute after midfielder Nainggolan made a careless pass back. The visitors launched a counter-attack that allowed Sadio Mane to open the scoring. However, Roma got a lucky equaliser just minutes later when centre-back Lovren's clearance hit Milner's head and bounced back into the Liverpool net.
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Wijnaldum's goal was decisive, extinguishing Roma's hopes. Photo:PA |
Roma failed to capitalise on the momentum and continued to make mistakes in the first half. Dzeko dropped back to defend and headed in an assist for Wijnaldum to put Liverpool ahead again. The goal meant Roma needed to score four goals in the second half to take the game to extra time.
Roma's efforts only brought them three goals in the remaining time. The two players who made mistakes in the first half, Dzeko and Nainggolan, could not make up for their mistakes despite taking turns scoring. Dzeko equalized early in the second half before Nainggolan scored twice in the final minutes.
Liverpool became the first Premier League side to win a European title since Roberto di Matteo's Chelsea in 2012. It was remarkable that they achieved this feat at the Olimpico, the site of their past triumphs.
At the stadium in Rome, Liverpool lifted their first European Cup in 1977 and returned seven years later to break the hearts of Roma fans by winning their fourth in an era of European dominance.
In this reunion, Liverpool did not prolong the pain for Roma but finished off the maroon team very early, just like scoring five goals in a row in the first leg. Liverpool did not become Roma's second victim like Barca because this team promoted their counter-attacking ability when the opponent had to push forward. Two defensive mistakes made Roma pay dearly in the first half.
Nainggolan's last-gasp penalty was enough to see Roma exit the tournament with honour. The Italians had a successful season in the Champions League and their comeback against Barca will be remembered long into the future.
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Nainggolan cried after scoring twice but could not bring Roma to the final. Photo:Reuters |
Jurgen Klopp is the man behind Liverpool's comeback and deserves credit. The German is still chasing his first title with the English club after losing the League Cup final to Man City and the Europa League final to Sevilla in the 2015-16 season.
Klopp is no stranger to the Champions League final where he once breathed the air when he led Dortmund to face Bayern in 2013. After 5 years, the 50-year-old coach has the opportunity to be crowned European champion again.
This is a worthy title for one of the best coaches in the world today. If he can do this, he will be the fourth strategist to help Liverpool win the European championship after Bob Paisley (1977, 1978 and 1981), Joe Fagan (1984) and Rafael Benitez (2005).
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Klopp hugs his players as they attend the Champions League final for the second time. Photo:DM |
Notable statistics after the Liverpool - Roma match
This season's final is a replay of the 1981 final, when Liverpool beat Real 1-0.
Liverpool - Real is the third final match ever to take place in the framework of the European Cup (from 1956 to 1992) and Champions League (1993 to present), after Ajax - Juventus and Ajax - Milan.
Liverpool - Roma became the semi-final match with the most goals in Champions League history. The previous record was 10 goals between Monaco and Juventus in 1998.
Liverpool put two goals past Roma in 25 minutes, while the Italians had not conceded a goal in their previous five home games in the Champions League this season.
Liverpool have scored 20 away goals in the Champions League this season, equalling Real's record from 2013-14.
Liverpool are the third team to reach 40 goals in a Champions League season after Barca (45, 1999-2000) and Real (41, 2013-2014).
Salah (10 goals), Firmino (10) and Mane (9) became the trio with the most goals in a Champions League season.
