Liverpool completed one of the greatest comebacks in football history, beating Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield and 4-3 on aggregate to reach the Champions League final.
Looking to become only the third team in the competition’s history to come back from three goals down after the first leg of a semi-final, Liverpool took an early lead through Divock Origi’s tap in (7) to give Anfield hope, before two goals in two second-half minutes brought them level.
Half-time substitute Georginio Wijnaldum first saw his low drive sneak past Marc-Andre ter Stegen (54), and the Dutchman took the roof off Anfield as his placed header from Xherdan Shaqiri’s cross found the corner of Barca’s net (56).
Sub Georginio Wijnaldum struck twice in two minutes to pull Liverpool level on aggregate and the comeback was complete in bizarre and jaw-dropping fashion as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cheeky corner caught Barcelona off guard, allowing the unmarked Origi to turn home his second (79), having played most of this season as a bit-part player.
The unprecedented and sublime comeback means Liverpool will play in their second successive Champions League final on June 1 in Madrid, facing either Ajax or Tottenham.
Liverpool had a mountain to climb, but the frantic opening worked in their favour as Jordi Alba’s poor header allowed Sadio Mane to feed Henderson, who drove into the area and forced a low stop from Ter Stegen, only for Origi to follow up and finish from close range.
Anfield erupted as Barca’s defence cracked, but they eventually settled after 15 minutes as Lionel Messi forced a good save from Alisson from 12 yards, and Alisson was again at his best to parry away Philippe Coutinho’s placed effort from the left of the box.
Luis Suarez, once a hero at Anfield, was soon being roundly jeered by the home fans for creating mischief among Liverpool’s defence, with replays showing he may have kicked out at Andrew Robertson as the two ran beside each other.
Robertson had to be replaced at half-time by Wijnaldum, after Alisson had again kept the score at 1-0 with a fine block from Jordi Alba at close range following Messi’s sublime through ball.
The breakneck speed continued after half-time as Ter Stegen showed fine reflexes to block Virgil van Dijk’s backheeled volley from a corner, before Alisson made yet another smart save from Suarez’s low drive.
Barca stuck with the same XI that secured a 3-0 advantage in the first leg; Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho once again started against their former club.
Liverpool are through to their ninth European Cup/Champions League final
It began to feel like another of those European nights at Anfield as Wijnaldum doubled Liverpool’s lead with a low drive from 12 yards from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross, although Ter Stegen should have done better with the effort.
And just 122 seconds after his first, Wijnaldum struck again, meeting a Shaqiri cross from the left with a fine header, but Liverpool weren’t settling for extra time.
While Barcelona re-organised for a corner, Alexander-Arnold drilled a quick corner into Origi’s path, eight yards out, and the Belgian made no mistake, glancing into the top left corner with his right foot.
Liverpool weathered the storm in the final stages, sending Anfield into a frenzy on yet another historic night for the five-time European Cup winners.
