Liverpool delivered one of the best rebounds in Champions League history to beat Barcelona 4-0 on Tuesday, overturning a three-goal first-leg shortage and progressing to their second progressive final with a 4-3 total triumph.
Two goals each from remain in forward Divock Origi and halftime substitute Georginio Wijnaldum left Lionel Messi and Barcelona completely shell-stunned by a Liverpool act loaded with energy, conviction and assurance.
Jurgen Klopp’s side will play the champ of Wednesday’s other semifinal between Ajax Amsterdam and Tottenham Hotspur, with the Dutch side leading 1-0 from the first leg in London.
“Unbelievable. I don’t think many people gave us a chance,” Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said.
“Before the game we knew that it would be difficult but it was still possible, of course. It’s amazing. We knew that at Anfield we could do something special.”
Liverpool become just the third group ever of European Cup or Champions League to originate from three goals down after the first leg of a semifinal round and advance after Panathinaikos in 1970-71 and Barcelona themselves in 1985-86.
For Barca, who went out on away goals to AS Roma in the quarterfinals a year ago in the wake of winning the first leg 4-1, it was an unpleasant night that will bring up numerous issues for mentor Ernesto Valverde.
Messi, whose two goals in the first leg had given his group an apparently agreeable favorable position, was unfit to make his effect on the game count with an away goal that would have been decisive.
Liverpool, without 66% of their hit power with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino harmed, took a seventh-minute lead when an inadequately headed freedom from Jordi Alba fell at the feet of Henderson, who burst goalward.
His low shot was parried out by Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen however straight to Origi, who slotted home.
Barca had openings in the first half, however when Messi twice got space around the box he terminated wide of the target, and when Jordi Alba burst goalward just before halftime, Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker was out rapidly to nullify the threat.
However the game took an amazing turn following the presentation of Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum for the harmed left back Andy Robertson at the break.
The Dutchman drove home a low cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold, which Barca keeper Ter Stegen ought to have saved, to make it 2-0 in the 54th minute.
After two minutes Wijnaldum rose to meet a Xherdan Shaqiri cross with a ground-breaking header to make it 3-3 on aggregate.
Liverpool at that point snatched an unprecedented fourth goal with an immediately taken corner from Alexander-Arnold, getting the Barca defence asleep with a low ball that was turned in at the close post by Origi.
That sent Anfield wild, however then Klopp’s side abruptly ended up expecting to switch mindset and defend a lead as Barca slipped, belatedly, into their trademark ownership game.
However with Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip extraordinary in the centre of defence and Brazilian Fabinho making some critical interventions in midfield, Liverpool held on for a standout amongst their most famous successes.
Klopp’s side, who lost to Real Madrid in a year ago’s final in Kiev, stay in with an opportunity of a double triumph as they head into Sunday’s final round of Premier League games trailing leaders Manchester City by only a point.
