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Liverpool 4-3 Borussia Dortmund (5-4 agg): Dejan Lovren, Philippe Coutinho and Mamadou Sakho haul Jurgen Klopp's men into the Europa League semi-final, despite trailing by two goals at half-time
- Henrikh Mkhitaryan gave Borussia Dortmund a dream start by drilling home from close range after five minutes
- Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang doubled the lead after nine minutes with a clinical finish in the penalty area
- Divock Origi pulled a goal back for Liverpool three minutes into the second half with a composed strike
- A stunning Marco Reus goal looked to have killed the tie before Philippe Coutinho scored another for Liverpool
- Mamadou Sakho headed home from close range on 77 and suddenly, Liverpool were only a goal away
- Dejan Lovren had the final say, rising highest to head home at the back post in the 91st minute
Spirit. Passion. Will. Longing. Sometimes raw emotion is enough. Quality. Very over-rated these days.
Borussia Dortmund had the class, but Liverpool had something more. Something undefinable. Something that lifted them beyond. They were beaten. They were done. And then they were not.
Somehow, inexplicably, they returned from beyond. Call it the spirit of Istanbul. Call it whatever you like — you won’t have seen too much like it, that is for sure.
Dejan Lovren (right) celebrates scoring the winning goal for Liverpool in an epic encounter against Borussia Dortmund
Lovren jumped highest to meet a delivery into the penalty area to head home in the 91st minute at the Kop end at Anfield
Lovren's goal sparked phenomenal scenes inside Anfield as Liverpool somehow found a way back against Dortmund
The full-time whistle sparked jubilant scenes from Liverpool team, with Jurgen Klopp celebrating with match-winner Lovren
The Liverpool players acknowledge the support from the Kop with the victory and a place in the semi-final secured
They needed three goals. Not once in the game, but twice — when Dortmund took a 2-0 lead after nine minutes, and again at 3-1 down.
Three goals against one of the greatest sides in Europe. And they got them. How, who knows? By sheer will, by divine intervention. By a cross from James Milner that seemed destined to meet Dejan Lovren’s head at the far post. It was the 91st minute. Dortmund were clinging on.
Yet even the most fervent Red can surely not have been expecting this. The noise was incredible, dizzying, Jurgen Klopp by turns manic, and then strangely calm. It felt almost surreal, the Kop singing until their throats were sore. It felt like a dream. It wasn’t a dream. They did it. They really did it.
With the anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy so close, emotion was high at Anfield and no doubt their new manager sought inspiration and meaning from that source. The atmosphere before the game was immense and quite beautiful, too, with the longest chorus of You’ll Never Walk Alone that many had heard. Gerry and the Pacemakers were slowly faded out, the stadium allowed to take over.
By the time the Kop had finished, the lady from the German radio station in the seat next to me was in tears. It was truly moving, truly powerful. Yet the hope that it would arouse Liverpool’s players, maybe intimidate Dortmund’s, was forlorn. If anything, Dortmund took as much from it as Liverpool, flying at the home team from the kick-off, confident, and plainly superior.
If the plan of coach Thomas Tuchel before the game was to surprise Liverpool with the speed of the attack, it worked. Liverpool seemed stunned, this being the traditional gameplan of the underdogs. Instead, it was Dortmund who seized the initiative, the game just four minutes old when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, one of the most coveted forwards in Europe and with good reason, curled a shot narrowly wide from 20 yards. That was notice served. A minute later Liverpool were behind.
Dortmund are a great counter-attacking team and Liverpool played into their hands. It was Philippe Coutinho who was at fault, giving the ball away on the left flank, trying to find Alberto Moreno.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan converted from close range to give Dortmund a perfect start after only five minutes of the match at Anfield
Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel turns to celebrate in the direction of the club's away support after taking the lead against Liverpool
Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang fired ruthlessly beyond Mignolet in the ninth minute as Dortmund produced an early blitz against Liverpool
Striker Aubameyang celebrated his goal, which cemented Dortmund's advantage in the tie, with his trademark acrobatic
Dortmund came back at them, instantly, through Henrikh Mkhitaryan. He sped down the flank and found Shinji Kagawa, who played the ball to Gonzalo Castro. His chip picked out Aubameyang, whose shot was well stopped by Simon Mignolet. Not well enough, sadly. It flew out but only to Mkhitaryan, who had continued his run into the box. He finished smartly. Now Liverpool had to score.
First of all, the message would have gone out, don’t concede a second. Yet Dortmund were rampant. Marcos Reus hustled gamely in midfield, won the ball, played a quite wonderful ball into the box and Aubameyang did the rest. His shot left Mignolet utterly defeated, rising into the roof of the net.
Anfield stood, stunned. There had been superhuman efforts in European competition before, but this was shaping up to be an emergency. At that moment, Liverpool’s priority was damage limitation. The scoreline really could have been anything.
So it is to Liverpool’s credit that they kept the hopes of their fans alive for so long. They had chances in the first half, including several good ones, and even got a goal back three minutes into the second half before Dortmund appeared to pull the rug from under their feet again.
Yet, while the Germans were ruthless in front of goal, Liverpool were random — summed up when a cross from Robert Firmino was missed by Adam Lallana, who swung his leg wildly for the shot and turned 360 degrees, like a cartoon.
Other misses were less dramatic. Divock Origi — Liverpool’s best player — had a shot tipped round after 17 minutes following a pass from Lallana, and almost turned a cross from Milner in from close range eight minutes later. The demand for three goals did not help frayed nerves however and when Origi played a lovely ball deep, Moreno’s volley was sliced wide, the tension of the occasion clearly showing.
Liverpool boss Klopp tries desperately to cajole his side into a reaction after Dortmund's blistering start stunned Anfield
Divock Origi, starting in attack ahead of Daniel Sturridge, had an effort deflected away as he tired to haul Liverpool back into the tie
Liverpool's dejected players trudge off the pitch at half-time, knowing three goals are needed to advance in the Europa League
Origi (right) gave Liverpool hope with a composed finish early in the second half, threading the ball under goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller
Origi's fourth goal in three games galvanised the support from the home fans in Anfield as Liverpool looked to get back in the tie
Klopp turns to face the Liverpool fans as Origi's effort hits the back of the net to give them hope against Dortmund
Firmino had a stooping header go wide after 27 minutes and played a lovely one-two with Coutinho which the Brazilian couldn’t get on target, but every time Dortmund attacked there was danger. In the 31st minute, a superb overlapping run by Marcel Schmelzer needed the full attention of Mignolet to steer it out, and another fine pass by Reus found Aubameyang, who couldn’t quite get the purchase required.
And then, almost immediately after half-time, a glimmer of hope. Milner and Emre Can combined to put Origi away, and the man who is increasingly becoming Klopp’s first pick as striker took his chance perfectly, accelerating away from a chasing pack before finishing smartly past Roman Weidenfeller. Thoughts immediately turned to Istanbul. They couldn’t, could they?
No, it seemed. Nine minutes later Dortmund delivered what they thought was the coup de grace. It was captain Mats Hummel who set it up, a beautifully weighted ball to Reus, who was helpfully played onside by Mamadou Sakho, slow to spot the danger again. Mignolet came haring out but the damage was done, Reus tucking the ball away into the far corner.
That Liverpool refused to give up even then was testament to the desire Klopp had instilled in a disparate group of players.
Roared on by a home crowd whose determination to believe knows no bounds, they lit flames of incredible resistance.
Marco Reus (right) quietened the atmosphere by rifling brilliantly past Mignolet 11 minutes after Origi struck Liverpool's first
Reus and Aubameyang celebrate as the momentum fell back to Dortmund following a merciless finish from the German international
But Coutinho gave Liverpool hope once more, finishing a neat move by drilling home from the edge of the area after 66 minutes
And Mamadou Sakho headed in after 77 minutes to leave Liverpool a goal away from going ahead in the quarter-final tie
Liverpool boss Klopp celebrated wildly on the sidelines as his team somehow hauled themselves back into the match
It was Coutinho to begin with, after 66 minutes, a one-two again, finished with a curling shot as sweetly targeted as Kevin De Bruyne’s winner against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. Yet Liverpool needed two more, still.
Incredibly, with 12 minutes remaining, they levelled the match. While Can went down for treatment, Hummels took the opportunity to deliver a ship-steadying team talk.
He must have a touch of the David Brents, though, because from the restart Liverpool scored. Daniel Sturridge flicked on the corner at the near post, Sakho planted his header from four yards at the far post. Klopp, on the touchline, went loudly doolally.
It made for a thrilling, edge-of-the-seat finish, but the fourth goal proved elusive. Liverpool’s heart was huge, and Lovren rewarded their faith.
Anfield has much to look forward to. This was an incredible game of football.
The Kop pays tribute to the 96 supporters who died at Hillsbrough on the eve of the 27th anniversary of the disaster
The Dortmund supporters were in fine voice before kick-off against Liverpool at Anfield in the second leg of the Europa League clash
The Liverpool team bus inches its way between crowds of supporters as the atmosphere intensified as kick-off approahced
Flares were lit, banners were held aloft and songs were sung by supporters as the Liverpool team arrived at Anfield for the quarter-final
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3540569/Liverpool-4-3-Borussia-Dortmund-5-4-agg-Dejan-Lovren-Phlippe-Coutinho-Mamadou-Sakho-haul-Jurgen-Klopp-s-men-Europa-League-semi-final-despite-trailing-two-goals-half-time.html#ixzz45q1wfe9O
Its no wonder the Dortmund and Liverpool fans sang YNWA together in the first leg
