9 highs and lows for Liverpool in Europe under Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool have undoubtedly been a different beast ever since Jurgen Klopp took charge.
Gone are the days when they were looked down upon as fallen giants - the Reds are now an undisputed powerhouse of the contemporary game. There have been a few hiccups here and there, but the shrewd German tactician has well and truly brought back the glory days to Anfield.
Liverpool's run in European games though, has been chequered, producing surprises both good and bad in equal measure. Here, we take a look at the highs and lows the Reds have witnessed in Europe under Klopp.
High: Anfield miracle to sink Dortmund (Quarter-finals, UEFA Europa League 2015/16)
Liverpool's meteoric rise to European supremacy can be traced as far back as this statement victory in 2016. Jurgen Klopp's ex-club Borussia Dortmund were in town, and didn't appear to be in the mood for any pleasantries, racing to a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes of kick-off.
The scoreline became 3-1 before the hour mark and the Reds edged closer towards an exit from the tournament, but the Merseysiders soon sprung out of their slumber to deliver a bolt out of the blue.
Philippe Coutinho, Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren all scored one goal apiece in the last 30 minutes to turn the tie around and conjure a miraculous escape as Dortmund imploded spectacularly.
Low: Liverpool's meltdown in Seville (Group stage, UEFA Champions League 2017/18)
After a year's absence, Liverpool were back in action in Europe in 2017, and faced a familiar foe in Sevilla. With the Basel disappointment still fresh in memory, the Andalusians managed to steal a point in Anfield, but saved their best for the third bite of the cherry.
The Reds romped to a 3-0 lead inside half an hour and looked set to finally break the Sevilla hoodoo, but the home team once again threw a spanner in their works by scoring thrice after the break to rescue a point. Liverpool must have surely grown sick at the sight of Sevilla after this.
High: 'Seventh' heaven against Maribor and Moscow (Group stage, UEFA Champions League 2017/18)
That same season, interspersed between those Sevilla frustrations, were a pair of huge victories against Maribor and Spartak Moscow.
The Reds secured their biggest ever away victory in a 7-0 whitewash of the former, which saw Firmino and Salah both bag a brace.
They then smashed the Russian side to smithereens with an identical scoreline at Anfield, led by Coutinho's amazing hat-trick, and set a new record for the most goals scored in the group stage of a Champions League season.
Low: Bedlam in Basel (Final, UEFA Europa League 2015/16)
Months after losing the League Cup final to Manchester City on penalties, Liverpool endured another agonizing heartbreak, this time on a much bigger stage. In their first major European final in nine years, the Reds started brightly against Sevilla, even taking an early lead through Daniel Sturridge.
However, the holders turned the screw after the break in spectacular fashion to strike thrice and snatch the trophy from Liverpool's clasp, making it three in a row for Unai Emery's side. However, for his opposite number Klopp, it was a fifth consecutive loss in a major final.
High: Mauling of Manchester City (Quarter-finals, UEFA Champions League 2017/18)
The Premier League has witnessed the birth of a new rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester City in recent times, but this clash fueled the fire further. With both sides claiming a victory each in the league fixtures, tis Champions League affair proved to be one-way traffic.
Liverpool comprehensively beat the Sky Blues 3-0 at home, and piled on more misery in the return leg to round off a 5-1 aggregate victory, as their march to the Kiev final gained immense momentum.
Low: Heartbreak in Kiev (Final, UEFA Champions League 2017/18)
Liverpool sent shock-waves across Europe with an unlikely appearance in the 2018 Champions League final, and standing in the way of a sixth crown were the competition's heavyweights Real Madrid.
So naturally, the Reds were the underdogs, but things didn't take long to go downhill as Salah trudged off the turf with a broken shoulder early on in the opening stanza.
A Loris Karius horror show after the break, sandwiched between Gareth Bale's astonishing overhead kick, prompted more heartbreak in a major final for Jurgen Klopp.
High: The battering of Barcelona (Semi-finals, UEFA Champions League 2018/19)
Who really saw this coming? 3-0 down on aggregate, no Salah and Firmino in the lineup, another trophy-less campaign on the horizon, and yet Liverpool, against all odds, produced a Champions League masterclass for the ages.
Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum came up clutch on that magical night, combining to score all the four goals as Barcelona were caught out like deer in headlights.
Low: Atletico Madrid reality check (Round of 16, UEFA Champions League 2019/20)
Liverpool were favourites this year to retain the Champions League crown, especially given their swashbuckling run in the league. Atletico Madrid didn't appear to be daunting prospects to negotiate with at first, but the LaLiga giants certainly had other ideas.
They secured a 1-0 win at Wanda Metropolitano, but didn't convince the pundits much, and the Reds were billed to stage another fightback at Anfield. And fight back they did, racing to a 2-0 lead in extra-time, but the Rojiblancos clawed their way back to strike thrice and round off an amazing 'double' over the champions.
High: Mighty Six in Madrid (Final, UEFA Champions League 2018/19)
Liverpool were the clear favourites in the 2019 Madrid final against Tottenham Hotspur, having dispatched the likes of PSG, Napoli, Bayern Munich and Barcelona along the way in stellar fashion.
Given the relative inexperience of the Lilywhites at this stage, the writing was certainly on the wall. There were no mistakes this time, with Reds comfortably winning 2-0 on the night to seal their sixth Champions League crown. As for Klopp, well, the picture says it all.