Liverpool might need to recreate the so-called ‘Istanbul miracle’ to qualify for next season’s Champions League, but as bad as Jurgen Klopp’s side have been in the Premier League in recent weeks, the flame European glory continues to flash. this season, after a 4-0 overall victory over RB Leipzig, they have secured a place in the quarter-finals.
The goals of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in the second half, four minutes apart, in the Ferenc Puskas Arena in Budapest were enough to win Liverpool’s “home” match of the round of 16, which saw 180 minutes played in the Hungarian capital thanks to COVID -19 travel restrictions forcing both matches to take place outside England and Germany.
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Despite a dismal race in national form that saw Liverpool drop to eighth place in the Premier League, seven points from Champions League places after six successive league defeats at Anfield, Europe has once again been a sanctuary for the six. Champions League winners time.
But he must now offer Liverpool more than a welcome distraction from the embarrassing defense of their Premier League title. Realistically, winning the Champions League again is their best hope of playing in the competition again next season.
In 2005, Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool finished fifth, outside of Champions League qualifying, but won the European Cup against AC Milan in Istanbul – winning on penalties after trailing 3-0 at the half-time – to claim a place in the tournament of the following season.
Although this Liverpool side had outstanding players like Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Jamie Carragher, they were certainly not one of the greatest teams in the club’s illustrious history. But he overcame obstacles, along with Juventus and Chelsea in the quarterfinals and semi-finals, to claim one of the most memorable victories in Champions League history.
The fact that this season’s finale is also set in Istanbul, a year after the pandemic forced it to be moved to the Turkish city, will no doubt have many Liverpudlians believe the omens are on their side. Liverpool also knocked out a German club – Bayer Leverkusen – in the round of 16 in 2005, so maybe the stars are starting to line up again.
But if we remove the romance and look for comparisons between now and 2005, is it fair to believe that this Liverpool side can go all the way and win the Champions League for a seventh time this season?
Having reached the final in 2018 and 2019, winning it in 2019, Klopp’s side certainly know how to navigate the round of 16. Klopp also took Liverpool to the 2016 Europa League final, so this group of players has a pedigree in European competition.
But injuries that derailed their Premier League title defense also threaten to jeopardize their Champions League bid.
Injuries ravaged Klopp’s side and the loss of Virgil van Dijk to a late-season knee injury was the most damaging. The recent addition of Jordan Henderson to the casualty list after groin surgery that will bar the midfielder and captain until mid-April has been another blow.
Defensively, Liverpool became a soft touch in the Premier League, but against Leipzig they kept clean sheets in both legs.
Whether they can handle this against one of Europe’s most formidable attacking parties remains to be seen.
Ozan Kabak and Nat Phillips kept Leipzig silent in Budapest, but both players lack the experience and quality to do the same against Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City.
In midfield, at least, Fabinho’s return made Liverpool stronger against Leipzig. The Brazilian has been outstanding as a makeshift center-back this season, but his energy and tenacity have been missed in the midfield. If Klopp manages to keep Fabinho in his best position then Liverpool may be able to keep the best teams at bay.
If they can do it, Salah and Mane have shown they can score against any opposition in Europe, so Liverpool can still hope to see the end of the competition.
If they get a favorable tie in next week’s quarter-final draw, a route to Istanbul could open up, but the absence of fans inside Anfield will deny Liverpool one of their greatest assets during a European evening.
And there’s also the question mark over whether Klopp’s exhausted team can stubbornly defend a lead or keep it tight enough for 180 minutes to defeat a stronger team. Benitez skillfully mobilized his team to do just that, but it is suspected that Klopp’s team is simply not designed to contain and frustrate.
But despite all their shortcomings and problems, Liverpool are still standing in the Champions League. They are in the bottom eight and can only focus on getting to Istanbul as that is now the only way to save their season.
Liverpool may lack the depth to go all the way, but that didn’t stop them in 2005. Maybe Istanbul is calling after all.
