Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona: 5 Men who won the game for Klopp
Liverpool welcomed Barcelona to Anfield on Tuesday for an epic showdown in the UEFA Champions League. The two teams had been pitted against each other in the semi final of the tournament, and it was a contest between two of the best teams in Europe on current form. The La Liga giants had defeated Liverpool 3-0 in the first leg at the Camp Nou and Barcelona had traveled to England with an advantage in the second leg of the tie.
Liverpool, besides being three goals down, also had big problems of their own. Their season long quest for the Premier League trophy had drained them and with a game to go, they were still trailing to City by a point. And last weekend, they had lost Mohamed Salah to an injury in the win against Newcastle. The Egyptian joined Firmino in the sidelines for the game and it was a big blow for Liverpool.
Klopp had his selection worries but named a pretty strong team. He started with Alisson in goal, with Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk, Matip and Robertson as the back four. The midfield comprised of Henderson, Milner and Fabinho, while up front, Shaqiri and Origi partnered Mane in attack.
Liverpool started the game brilliantly and were a goal up in the 7th minute, through Origi. In the second half, Wijnaldum came on for Robertson and scored two quick fire goals to bring Liverpool level in the tie. Origi scored again in the 79th minute to give Liverpool a 4-0 lead on the night and a 4-3 aggregate lead in the tie. In the end it was enough to see them through.
On a night where the entire team played brilliantly, Jurgen Klopp will be extra pleased with the performance of these 5 men, who won them the game
#5 Jordan Henderson
The Liverpool Skipper was exceptional on the night. Henderson was a true leader on the pitch and fought for every ball like his life depended on it. He was the player who did not allow the Barcelona midfield to settle for a moment. Every time Barcelona tried to get into the groove, Henderson led his men into battle, breaking down the opposition moves and flying in tackles. Henderson pressed and pressed right until the last minute of the game and helped his team come away with a thumping win.
The Englishman was actually injured in the first half, but soldiered on. He was back helping out his defence whenever they were under pressure. He bombed forward whenever Liverpool had the ball. Barcelona failed to deal with Henderson’s energy and intensity and in many ways, Henderson was the epitome of the Liverpool way. His tenacity and desire was crucial to his team as they booked a place in the finals.