Jurgen Klopp Reveals He Missed Crucial Goal in Liverpools Comeback Against Barcelona

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed how it felt to be in the dugout as the Reds fought back from a 3-0 deficit against Barcelona in last season's Champions League semi-final.

After losing the first leg, Liverpool were all but out of the game. However, a stunning performance at Anfield in the return fixture saw the Reds run out 4-0 victors, in what was undoubtedly one of the finest performances in Champions League history.

Pure genius 易

Trent Alexander-Arnold with the quickest thinking you will ever see from the short corner.

THE decisive goal from Divock Origi.

Liverpool are going to the final! pic.twitter.com/K05v1iYzbp
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 8, 2019

Writing for The Players' Tribune, Klopp discussed what that victory meant to him and confessed that he did not actually see Divock Origi's crucial goal, as he did not expect Trent Alexander-Arnold to take the corner so quickly.

He wrote: "Losing 3–0 at Barcelona in the Champions League last season was the worst result imaginable. When we were preparing for the second leg, my team talk was very straightforward.

"Mostly, I talked about tactics. But I also told them the truth. I said, 'We have to play without two of the best strikers in the world. The world outside is saying it is not possible. And let’s be honest, it’s probably impossible. But because it’s you? Because it’s you, we have a chance.'

"I really believed that. It wasn’t about their technical ability as footballers. It was about who they were as human beings, and everything they had overcome in life.

"Of course, it is easy for me to say those words. I am just the guy yelling from the touchline. It is much harder for the players to actually do it. But because of those boys, and because of the 54,000 people at Anfield, we did the impossible."

Klopp then revealed that he managed to miss the moment Liverpool completed the unlikeliest of comebacks against Barcelona, as Alexander-Arnold caught even him out with the quick corner.

Klopp continued: "Unfortunately, the most incredible moment in the history of the Champions League … I didn’t actually see it. Maybe this is a good metaphor for the life of a football manager, I don’t know. But I completely missed Trent Alexander-Arnold’s moment of pure genius.

"I saw the ball go out for a corner. I saw Trent walking over to take it. I saw Shaqiri following him.

But then I turned my back because we were preparing to make a substitution. I was talking to my assistant, and … you know, I have goose bumps every time I think about it … I just heard the noise.

"I turned to the pitch and I saw the ball flying into the goal. I turned back to our bench and looked at Ben Woodburn, and he said, 'What just happened?!' And I said, 'I have no idea!'

"Anfield was going — boof — absolutely crazy. I could barely hear my assistant, and he was yelling, 'So … do we still make the substitute?' Hahahaha! I will never forget him saying that! That will always be with me.

"Can you imagine? Eighteen years as a manager, millions of hours watching this game, and I missed the cheekiest thing that has ever happened on a football pitch. Since that night, I have probably watched the video of Divock’s goal 500,000 times. But in person, I only saw the ball hit the net.

"The best moment was waking up the next morning and realising, 'It’s still true. It really happened.'"

Source : 90min