“Hernan Crespo again! From a sublime pass from Kaka and Milan now are playing football out of this world!” , the words of the commentator ran through the ears of all those watching the game. The fans who had come all the way from Merseyside could do nothing , but watch in despair.
Little did they know that a certain Xabi, Smicer, and Gerrard with some magnificent keeping from Dudek would turn the tie for Liverpool within a matter of minutes.
The Italian ship sank as the world witnessed one of the finest European comebacks. ‘ The greatest ever ‘ as some would say.
Fast forward 13 years .
Generations have come and gone. Liverpool Football Club were without a trophy for more than a decade. Everyone from Anfield was hoping for a victory that would change the course of the team. No matter how expansive their style of football might be , silverware had always eluded them under the German manager, Klopp. The feeling was universal. The players knew they had to win this one. But they faced a daunting task ahead of them. Liverpool could only hope that their prince from Egypt could weave his magic against their oppositions, boasting of some of the best footballers in the world.
The people from Merseyside had again turned up in large numbers , hoping to see a repetition of ‘that night in Istanbul‘. Alas! Destiny had something else written for them. Salah got injured and Karius made a couple of mistakes that handed over the trophy to Real Madrid. And there it was again. The harsh reality of it all : another trophyless season.
Everyone thought that the final will haunt Liverpool for sometime and it will take some time for them to string together another such fine run of performances. Klopp and his side came out , stronger than ever. Fresh hopes. Fresh start.
If you thought , you had seen the best of Liverpool , think again. This Liverpool side is up with the best. It had shown continuously that it can compete with the best in the business. It’s the results that matter and well , well , well ! There they are sitting right on top of the PL table. Klopp has always played down their chances of winning the league. But surely , they are the favourites from here on. The KOP are keeping their fingers crossed. Their prayers are getting louder as we edge closer to the finishing line. Their songs are also getting louder.
The thought of Everton putting a dent in their title hopes , hot on the heels of the loss in Paris , was too much to contemplate. But , then up popped Divock Origi to trigger bedlam inside Anfield.
” Forget McAllister , Kuyt and Mane – this late derby winner topped the lot!“
The stakes are getting higher every week. The onus is on the players to put in a 10/10 performance week in and week out. ‘ Can Liverpool do it ?’ seems to be the common question nowadays. The last quarter of the title race indeed promises a fascinating show. Come May and the people of Anfield wish to see their team lifting the trophy. It’s as if the fans deserve it. They have waited so long. Whatever happens this season , one thing’s for sure : You’ll never walk alone.
– Written
The Sport Catalogue 