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Liverpool have experienced many great European nights at Anfield in recent years, which football fans will never forget.
There was the night when they came from 3-1 down to win 4-3 against Borussia Dortmund. However, their most iconic night in recent history was when Barcelona visited Anfield two years ago.
Having suffered a 3-0 defeat at the Camp Nou, the Reds put up a spirited performance at Anfield, eventually beating Lionel Messi and Co. 4-0 to advance to the UEFA Champions League final.
Such special nights inspired hope among the Liverpool faithful as the team welcomed Real Madrid for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.
However, despite Liverpool’s history of recording improbable comebacks, this was too tough a task and they were eliminated by the Spanish giants over two legs.
The Reds failed to take their chances
Liverpool shot themselves in the foot when they lost 3-1 in the first-leg, leaving them with an uphill task in the return fixture at Anfield.
Where Dortmund and Barcelona failed, Real Madrid thrived as they managed to hold their own against the Reds, The 13-time European champions came into the fixture with a game plan to sit back and frustrate the home side.
For large parts of the game it worked, but Liverpool still had their chances. If it wasn't for the Reds’ wastefulness, they could have overturned the deficit from the first leg.
Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Gini Wijnaldum were all guilty of wasting clear-cut chances that would have brought Liverpool back into the tie.
In the end, a goalless draw saw Jurgen Klopp’s side booted out of the competition, with Real Madrid advancing to the semi-finals. Liverpool, though, only have themselves to blame for being wasteful on the night.
Liverpool have to aim for a top-four finish in the league
It has been a very challenging season for Liverpool, who are now out of contention of every competition. The Premier League has been out of their reach for some time now and their Champions League elimination has compounded their misery.
The only way for the club to finish the season on a high is to secure a place in the top four. The Reds, however, are currently in sixth place, three points behind the Champions League spots.
For the first time in a long while, Klopp was magnanimous in defeat after Wednesday’s result. He was quick to point out the importance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
"We really have to keep going, we have to keep fighting, we want to be in the Champions League next year. But in this moment, we still have to pick up more points than a lot of other teams,” the German told Sky Sports.
"We love this competition and it is very important we are back in it for other reasons. We can now concentrate on the Premier League and we will. We have to work our socks off against Leeds," Klopp added.
Liverpool will have to compete with Leicester City, West Ham United and Chelsea for a place in the top four. With seven more matches left before the end of the season, Klopp and his side must fight tooth and nail to qualify for the Champions League. Failing to do so, will impact their status as one of Europe’s elite teams.
