The Miracle of Anfield

Sometimes there are games and moments that just kind of defy all forms of logic, and in the process, they make you wonder whether or not what you witness is reality or a figment of your imagination. Last night was one of those evenings as Liverpool overcame an insane 3-0 aggregate deficit to defeat Barcelona and take one giant step towards lifting the Champions League trophy for the first time since 2005.

In the early stages of the encounter it was quite clear to see that there were some nerves from the Spaniards, as they knew that the Reds were going to come straight at them. The Anfield crowd made it all the more intimidating, too, and within less than 10 minutes of kick off, the Reds managed to take the lead courtesy of a Divock Origi tap-in.

What a game

It took until the second half for them to double their advantage courtesy of Wijnaldum, which wound up being an inspired substitution from manager Jurgen Klopp. Gini popped up with an insane header to make it 3-0, and before anyone knew it, the game was back on level terms.

Then, as seen in this phenomenal clip from BT Sport on Twitter, youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold showcased a veteran savvy that very few fans could’ve seen coming. He whipped in a shock corner, which was met by Belgian hero Origi who managed to complete the turnaround and make it 4-0 on the night.

The streets of Liverpool have been lined up with adoring fans ever since, and can you blame them? This is the greatest comeback in the history of the Champions League and it doesn’t really even come close. The Reds believed in their own ability, they believed in what they were building, and they executed their game plan to perfection.

Of course, Liverpool Echo is reporting that Jamie Carragher is one of the many men parading around and celebrating in the face of others – but perhaps it’d be best for Jamie, and other Liverpool fans, to come back down to earth for a minute.

The future

There are two very important games left for this Liverpool team to contend with: one against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and one that’ll come against either Tottenham or Ajax in Madrid. If they lose both of those games, or get too overly confident after the win over Barcelona, then what will this comeback really mean?

Sure, it’ll still mean they were able to reach their second consecutive Champions League final, but history often remembers the winners above anything else. When it comes to the Wolves game the only way they can come out of that one looking bad is if City also drop points, and Liverpool miss out on a golden opportunity to win the championship as a result.

Obviously it’s going to be party time for the next few days and that’s understandable, but once everything calms down a little bit, the focus needs to return. Jurgen Klopp has something special here, and now, it’s a case of finally getting over the finish line.