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What's the story?
Prior to Liverpool's historic 4-3 (on aggregate) comeback against Barcelona, Arsene Wenger had shared that his thoughts about playing at Anfield, especially for a return leg. Now, his prediction has come true.
In case you didn't know...
Many were expecting the LaLiga champions to advance into the finals after Barcelona beat the Reds 3-0 at the Camp Nou. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez showcased their brilliance and the Reds could not find a way past them.
In the return leg, Liverpool was without top scorer, Mohamed Salah, and thus, the situation looked optimistic for Barca. The Spanish side had even rested their key players over the weekend just for the second-leg clash at Anfield. However, Liverpool mounted their comeback right at home and left everyone shocked to the core.
Beating Barcelona 4-0 in the second-leg meant that Jurgen Klopp's side would progress to the Champions League final for the second season in a row. Last season, they faced Real Madrid but lost to the long-time champions. This season, Real had been knocked out early. Instead, either an all-English final awaits the world or Klopp's team will face Ajax.
The heart of the matter
Liverpool has done extremely well in European competition for the last two seasons. This season, they had held Bayern Munich to a goalless draw at home and overcame Porto with ease. Last time around, the Reds saw off Manchester City and Roma at home as well.
Wenger has had his say on the atmosphere at Anfield before the match and warned Barca.
"Liverpool has another asset that comes out, because let's not forget that Liverpool did not win the Championship for 30 years, but in Europe they do well. Why? Anfield."
"A home game. This is the most heated stadium in Europe. In the return game, it's the only place you don't want to go is to Anfield. Because the atmosphere and everything is special there."
What's next?
Liverpool will find out their Champions League final opponent tonight after Tottenham face Ajax in the other tie.
