Reds Can Take Heart From 2019 Euro Success

As Liverpool once again find themselves in the mix in the knockout stages of the Champions League, the Reds can draw on their experience from the 2018-19 season.
There are plenty of similarities between the campaigns in Europe so far and that will give Jurgen Klopp’s side hope they can go all the way in the prestigious competition this time around.

Resolute Reds Proving Tough To Conquer

Looking back at the 2018-19 season, much like this term, the Reds found themselves in what was a tough group. Liverpool, who are currently priced at 7/2 in the outright odds on the Champions League to win the title this season, were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade. That year, Klopp’s side had to settle for second place in the group behind PSG, with a nervy 1-0 win over Napoli at Anfield seeing the Merseyside outfit just beating the Azzurri to that spot.

This season saw Liverpool handed another tough group on paper, with the Premier League title challengers being drawn against Atletico Madrid, FC Porto and AC Milan. Not only did Klopp’s men progress, but they managed to win all six of their games, conceding just six goals in the process. Back in the group games that took place in the latter months of 2018, despite losing half their games, Liverpool conceded just seven goals. A resolute defence has stood the team well in Klopp’s time at the helm and it’s something that will be key if they are to land the club’s seventh European Cup this year.

 

Liverpool Will Fear Nobody

If the 2018-19 march towards the Champions League title proved anything, it was that it didn’t matter who the Reds faced on the way to lifting the trophy. No one could accuse Liverpool of having an easy route to the final, as they faced Bayern Munich, FC Porto and Barcelona on the way to meeting Tottenham in Madrid. The 3-1 victory over Bavarian giants Bayern at the Allianz Arena was the highlight of another remarkable European journey. A brace from Sadio Mane that night and a goal from Virgil van Dijk secured a memorable win to reach the quarter-finals of the competition. Liverpool faced Italian champions Inter Milan in the Round of 16 this time around and, while it was not as empathic as their success over Bayern, they still showed that resilience to get the job done.

 

Many of the players will be able to draw on their experiences from three years ago, as the majority of them are still key figures at the club. Looking at the starting lineup for the final against Spurs, only Georginio Wijnaldum is no longer at Anfield. This is a current Liverpool side that clearly knows what it takes to win the competition and they will fear no opponent as they look to add another title to the club’s rich history in Europe.

Written by Alan Spencer