Ranking the 5 most iconic games of Jurgen Klopp's managerial career
Jurgen Klopp is undoubtedly one of the modern day greats. Be it as a tactician, man manager or a deliverer of promises, his captivating "rock and roll" football has taken Europe by storm.
At Borussia Dortmund, he dethroned the mighty Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and led the club to a Champions League final. Klopp has also taken Liverpool to the promised land of both Champions League glory and Premier League successes.
He has certified himself as a beloved managerial legend and a giant of the game. Here, we take a look at Jurgen Klopp's five most iconic matches.
#5 Borussia Dortmund vs Malaga, 3-2,Champions League 2012-13
Jurgen Klopp took Borussia Dortmund from Europa League football in 2009-10 to the Champions League final in 2012-13. Their route was dramatic, and perhaps the most dramatic of all was the 2012-13 Champions League semi-final second leg versus Malaga.
A goalless first leg meant the tie would have to be settled on the night. Dortmund fell behind to the plucky Spanish underdogs from a Joaquin goal. The red-hot Robert Lewandowski equalized for Dortmund but an 82nd-minute goal from Malaga by Eliseu saw Dortmund's dreams hit a stumbling block.
📆 #OnThisDay in 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣3️⃣
Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund scored two goals in injury time to come from behind to beat Malaga 😱
The scenes when Felipe Santana's winner went in 🙌
A Champions League classic 🤩
https://t.co/dG37Rq0dmH
However, in the span of 70 seconds of stoppage time, goals from Marco Reus and Felipe Santana helped Borussia Dortmund turn the tie on its head. The 3-2 win propelled them to the semi-finals of the Champions League in what was a hectic affair.
#4 Liverpool vs Borussia Dortmund, 4-3, Europa League, 2015-16
This was one of the defining early games of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool reign. The Reds' Europa League quarter-final clash against Thomas Tuchel's Dortmund set the tone for European success to come. There was an air of sentimentality as the game was played on the 27th anniversery of the Hillsborough disaster, with the moving renedition of "You'll never walk alone."
That April night at Anfield was a throwback to the Liverpool of old, Jurgen Klopp's heavy metal football was in full flow and effect. Having already been 3-1 down within the hour mark, all hopes of overcoming his former club seemed lost. That was until a frentic, frenzied final 30 minutes which saw Anfield turn into a cauldron.
🍿 7 goals
😱 Late drama
Liverpool & Dortmund played out a Europa League classic at Anfield, #OTD in 2016 🎇
#UEL https://t.co/zlf4xRhxJh
Urged on by a decibel-breaking crowd, Klopp's side were left needing three goals to go through after a Dortmund blitz. Philippe Coutinho brought Liverpool back into the game in the 66th minute. They then scored twice in dramatic fashion, with Dejan Lovren's injury-time header from James Milner's cross sending them through to the semifinals.
In a way, this was Klopp's first landmark connection with the Liverpool crowd that laid the foundation for the European and domestic success that followed.