Evening all.
It’s nicely poised, this one.
1-1 from the first leg which is good and bad. It depends on whether you’re a glass half-full or half-empty person, doesn’t it? Do you think Liverpool will win tonight? Well, you’ve got nothing to fear then. Do you think they’ll keep a clean-sheet? Again, nothing to worry about. But, if you’re concerned about leaking a goal or two…well…that’s a different matter.
A scoreless draw will put Liverpool through tonight. A 1-1 draw will push this into extra-time and any higher-scoring draw will give Dortmund the tie. Of course, any Liverpool win will get the business done too.
Let’s bring you some team news, shall we?
Here’s how Liverpool will line up.
And their German guests have decided on the following XI.
So the big update is that Roberto Firmino has been given the nod to start in place of the injured Jordan Henderson. After his goal in Dortmund, Divock Origi retains his place and Daniel Sturridge is on the bench.
For the visitors, there are two changes. Shinji Kagawa knows a thing or two about Anfield because of his stint with Manchester United. He gets a start this evening, as does Sokratis Papastathopoulos – Sven Bender and Erik Durm miss out.
A familiar face on the Dortmund bench too. Nuri Sahin didn’t spend too long at Anfield but he did manage to grab a Premier League goal and he also got to wear one of the worst Liverpool kits in recent memory.
Kagawa grabbed a goal for Dortmund last weekend, as Thomas Tuchel rested a litany of his top stars in advance of this game. They drew 2-2 with Schalke and this was the standout moment.
The atmosphere is off the chain at Anfield tonight. This was the reaction when the Liverpool bus pulled up outside. Even the players are recording it – it must be pretty spectacular.
Pre-game, Klopp has said he’s ‘pretty sure’ Sturridge will play some part in the game. He was also struggling to find the right word to describe the atmosphere outside Anfield before settling on ‘goosebumps’.
Right – that was pretty special. The entire ground joining in on You’ll Never Walk Alone. Magnificent. We’ll even forgive those half-and-half scarves.
And this.
KICK-OFF!
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Decent start by Dortmund – stretching Liverpool on both flanks. They’ve come to Anfield to attack and Tuchel has selected a side to do that. Two advancing full-backs and plenty of creative types in the final third. Kagawa already has seen some of the ball while Aubameyang has put a strike narrowly wide.
GOAL! Mkhitaryan!
Incredible stuff from the Germans as Liverpool cough up possession as they try to build an attack down the left side. Dortmund break swiftly and the ball is worked inside to Kagawa. He plays it to Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who crosses for Aubameyang. His effort is parried by Mignolet and the Armenian is quickest to react to knock it home. Awful start for the home side.
GOAL! Aubameyang!
Goodness me. This is incredible. Reus sends a magnificent pass through for Aubameyang and Sakho is completely lost. The striker takes a touch and rifles it to the roof of Mignolet’s net – just inside the near post. Brilliant finish and Anfield has gone very, very quiet.
Just caught a replay of Dortmund’s second. Reus did incredibly well to get away from a couple of Liverpool challenges before curling in a superb pass. Showed strength, footwork, pace and vision. Such a good player.
Good point here.
Liverpool really need to make all their passes hit their mark for the next while. Both goals really came from Dortmund transitioning incredibly quickly and making the most of positional errors.
CLOSE! That’s better from Liverpool. Lallana slips a neat pass through for Origi in the right channel and Weidenfeller races off his line to try and block. Papastathopoulos is there too and he deflects it wide.
Oooof. That’s the difference, isn’t it? A cross from the right side is a deep one and Moreno is all on his own at the far post. He can afford to take a touch and steady himself but he tries the audacious volley. It skews hopelessly off the outside of his boot and the chance goes a-begging.
Better from Liverpool as they force their way into the left side of the area. The cross isn’t dealt with by Dortmund and it falls for Lallana. He’s off balance but turns onto his right to get a shot in and…completely misses his kick, touching the ball with his left foot accidentally and then swinging at fresh air.
Liverpool have brightened up considerably since going 2-0 down. This time Firmino tries to help his header towards the near post but it’s harmlessly wide once more.
CLOSE! Origi is sniffing again at the near post. Milner does really well to burn down the right side and he whips in a low cross to the front post. The Belgian just tries to help it on its way and send it to the far corner but he just gets his angle wrong and it’s well wide in the end.
CLOSE! Oh, that was so very nearly a third for Dortmund. Piszczek raids down the right side and races all the way to the by-line. His cross is heading straight for Aubameyang to tap home but Mignolet gets a fingertip to it and deflects it. A crucial touch. The attacker was already off celebrating.
Another approach down the left and another chance for Aubameyang but he slides it wide of the far post after losing his footing.
CLOSE! Lovely little interchange as Coutinho picks out Firmino on the edge of the area. He gets it back after a clever return pass and smacks towards the bottom corner but it’s deflected wide. A cameo from the Brazilian who we haven’t seen much of.
CLOSE! And there’s another warning sign for Liverpool as the right-wing cross is whipped towards the near post and Kagawa is there to help it towards goal. But Mignolet gets down and makes the save.
HALF-TIME!
Well. Liverpool in big trouble and have been made pay for defensive slips. But this has really been about the devastating quality of Dortmund than anything else. The first goal from Henrikh Mkhitaryan came from a lightening break down the right side while Aubameyang’s came courtesy of some individual magic from Marco Reus who showed some terrific footwork and great vision to spot Sakho struggling to track the attacker’s run behind him.
An early goal after the break could make things interesting but Liverpool have to be so wary of leaving themselves vulnerable to the counter-attack because Dortmund are in no mood to waste opportunities.
SECOND HALF!
Castro is lucky there as he absolutely cements Coutinho. He escapes without a booking though.
GOAL! Origi!
Well, we talked about the importance of an early goal here and Origi has put this tie back in the melting pot. Can does superbly and slips a perfect pass for the striker to race onto. As Weidenfeller comes out, he just pokes it past him and it’s game-on now.
4 goals in 7 days for Divock Origi, by the way. Luis who?
BOOKING! Hummels is high up and Coutinho knocks it in behind and tries to race past him. The defender is unsure what’s behind him and even though he is covered, checks the Brazilian and gets a deserved yellow.
GOAL! Reus!
Goodnight. That’s surely game-over, barring a miracle here. And while Liverpool are valiantly trying to keep a high tempo, Dortmund keep calm and wait. It’s a little odd in its creation. Hummels is very far up the pitch and spots Reus’ run in behind. The pass is perfect and the attacker races onto it in the left channel and bends it to the far corner.
SUBSTITUTIONS! Allen (on) – Lallana (off) & Sturridge (on) – Firmino (off)
Klopp has to change things. Sturridge inevitably is introduced but this really is a mountain to climb.
GOAL! Coutinho!
And, just like that, things get interesting. Some very nice goals scored tonight and this is no different. A little one-two between the Brazilian and Milner and he whips it around Weidenfeller to the bottom corner. Neatly done. They need two more, Liverpool.
This has been great fun.
Dortmund haven’t created anything in the last ten minutes. The red wave has engulfed them and Liverpool are sniffing for another goal here.
James Milner can’t beat the first man with a succession of corners, much to the frustration of the Anfield crowd.
GOAL! Sakho!
This is absolutely bonkers. I just mentioned Milner’s poor corners. It’s Coutinho who swings in this one and it’s equally awful – low to the near post. But somehow it squeezes through and Sakho knocks it to the net. They need one more, Liverpool.
4-4 on aggregate now! Unbelievable stuff.
SUBSTITUTIONS! Ginter (on) – Kagawa (off) & Lucas (on) – Can (off)
Ginter had just come into the game before that corner while Can had been receiving attention just before it too.
SUBSTITUTIONS! Gundogan (on) – Castro (off) & Ramos (on) – Reus (off)
A double change for the hosts who need to dig deep here. They had it sewn up early on in the half and it’s all to play for now.
Lovren skied a left-foot volley into the stands there. Just like Moreno did in the first half. It’s the hope that kills you.
Is there a ridiculous finale left to this? It’s been a bizarrely-fascinating, ding-dong affair so far so why not? Dortmund are trying to keep the ball but Liverpool are harassing and harrying. Four minutes of injury time, by the way.
GOAL! Lovren!
I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS! I’M EVEN WRITING IN CAPITALS! THAT’S HOW CRAZY IT IS!
It’s a cheap free-kick that Schmelzer concedes and it’s worked to Sturridge down the right. There’s a hint of offside but he slips it through to Milner whose cross is met at the far stick by the head of Lovren.
FULL-TIME!
My word. Let’s take a breath. How did that happen? I still don’t really know, to be honest. Liverpool looked dead and buried but Coutinho’s strike seemed to change things dramatically. Sakho added another just as Dortmund made a change, and all the momentum shifted to the home side.
For the Germans, anytime you concede four goals, you deserve to lose. They left this behind them but it’s fitting that Liverpool have booked a place in the final four.
Tomorrow is the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster and there was something special in the air at Anfield tonight.
Thanks for staying with us. Plenty more coverage on the site throughout the night.
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