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Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 last Saturday to win their 6th Champions League title. The Reds have now won the ultimate prize in club football on more occasions than Bayern Munich and Barcelona, and only AC Milan (7) and Real Madrid (13) are ahead of them in this respect. In fact, Liverpool also have twice as many Champions League titles as archrivals Manchester United.
Liverpool came very close last season too, finishing runners-up after losing 1-3 to Real Madrid in the final. However, goals by Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi ensured that they won the much elusive title this time around.
Their manager Juergen Klopp also tasted his first European success after having lost as a manager in the finals in 2013 and 2018. He reaped the rewards for making Liverpool a cohesive and combative unit since being appointed the manager of the club in 2015.
We would now take a look at the 3 primary reasons behind Liverpool’s success in this season’s Champions League:
#1 Vital goals coming from unexpected sources
Liverpool have had to face injury related problems in the Champions League, as their talismanic players Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino could not play against Barcelona in the second leg of the semifinal clash between two of Europe’s heavyweight clubs.
However, it was a blessing in disguise for them, as Origi, who had warmed the bench for the majority of the season, got a chance to redeem himself, and scored a couple of vital goals. Origi again hogged the limelight by scoring the second goal in the final against Tottenham Hotspur. He played in only 20 matches last season, but managed to score three of the most important goals scored in Liverpool’s Champions League conquest.
The same is true about Geroginio Wijnaldum, who scored a brace against Barcelona in the 4-0 win the second leg after being introduced as a substitute in the second half. Wijnaldum has scored only 5 goals in the 2018-19 season, but a couple of them were absolutely crucial in determining Liverpool’s fate in the Champions League.
#2 Having depth and versatility in midfield
Liverpool played with a 4-3-3 formation for the majority of last season, and Klopp had a pool of at least 7-8 players to choose from while filling in the three spots in the midfield. Liverpool had the grit of Fabinho, the versatility and experience of James Milner, the leadership and distribution of Jordan Henderson, the speed of Xherdan Shaqiri and the overall utility of Wijnaldum.
As a result, Liverpool could use various combinations in the midfield. They could easily replace an injured Nabi Keita in the final. They could also afford to leave out an experienced and skillful player like Adam Lallana in most of the matches.
Each of the aforementioned midfielders contributed in his own way in Liverpool’s successful Champions League campaign. Fabinho was a pillar in Liverpool’s defence in the final, Henderson made Barcelona suffer with his incessant pressing and Milner had almost scored in the final after coming in as a substitute.
#3. The defence holding firm:
The 0-3 loss against Barcelona was the only match in which Liverpool’s defence almost crumbled. Otherwise, Virgil van Dijk, the PFA’s player of the year in the 2018-19 season, led their defence with a series of spirited performances. Liverpool could also successfully negotiate with Dejan Lovren’s absence owing to an injury for an extended period of time, as Joel Matip supported van Dijk brilliantly.
Van Dijk and Matip appeared in 50 and 30 matches respectively last season, and lent solidity to Liverpool’s defence . They neutralized Harry Kane in the final and Lionel Messi in the return leg of the semifinal. Moreover, Liverpool did not concede a goal in their last two matches in Champions League, as their centre-back duo hardly put a step wrong.
In addition to that, Liverpool’s goalie Alisson Becker also performed creditably throughout the season. He gave yet another inspiring performance in the final too. He was quite possibly the best goalkeeper in the last season's Champions League.
Liverpool’s full-backs also enhanced their reputation this season. Both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson played exceptionally throughout the season, and played their respective parts in the Reds’ memorable campaign.
