Liverpool is in the second pot this season but will that prove favorable for the Reds? Let’s take a look at some lessons from the past.
Liverpool Set to Be in Pot 2: Who will They Play?
After having to play catch-up in the last weeks of last season to win a qualification spot, Liverpool is relieved just to be back in the Champions League in 2021/22. Oddly, not being one of the top-ranked teams might actually prove advantageous next season.
Liverpool was in eighth place in the Premier League table on March 7, but a 10-game undefeated run at the end of the season, which included eight wins, moved them into third place.
Manchester City is in pot one alongside this season’s UEFA Europa League winners Chelsea after reclaiming their crown lost to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool last season. Other teams in the league cannot match The Reds at this point due to the group stages’ one team per nation rule.
While Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich are in pot one, Serie A champions Internazionale and surprise domestic title winners Lille and Sporting CP are in pot two, together with Europa League winners Villarreal.
As a result, some of Europe’s heavyweights, including Real Madrid, knocked The Reds out of the competition in the quarter-finals last season. Not forgetting Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla, and Manchester United will be drawn into different groups, with all but the latter possibly competing against Manchester City or Chelsea.
Pot 3 has been confirmed for Porto, Ajax, RB Leipzig, Atalanta, and Zenit, while AC Milan, Wolfsburg, Dynamo Kyiv, Besiktas, and Club Brugge are still waiting to find out which pot they will be in based on the current qualifying rounds.
PSV Eindhoven, Rangers, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Benfica are now participants in the process, while Celtic and Galatasaray have already faced elimination in the second qualifying round.
Pots 3 and 4 will not be finalized until the qualifying rounds are completed later this month.
Let’s take a look at previous wins, just because we can!
Past Liverpool Champions League Wins
Liverpool 3-1 Borussia Monchengladbach – 1977
It was one of the most crucial nights in the club’s history when they eventually won the title. Liverpool was the finest team in Europe, and they had no intention of slowing down.
Bill Shankly had been trying for years to win the trophy but had always come up short. In 1965, Liverpool made it to the semi-finals before losing to Internazionale due to “questionable” refereeing.
On the other hand, Bob Paisley took over in 1974 and quickly rose through the ranks in Europe. It began with the UEFA Cup in 1976 and ended with the European Cup in 1977.
Terry McDermott, Tommy Smith, and a Phil Neal penalty were all on target as Gladbach were defeated. But this was only the beginning.
Liverpool 1-0 Club Brugge – 1978
After Liverpool’s 1977 victory, Kevin Keegan departed the club to join Hamburg. He was the club’s star player, and the Reds needed someone to take his place.
Kenny Dalglish was acquired by Liverpool, breaking the British transfer record. He’d scored the game-winning goal in a European Cup final by the conclusion of the season.
Brugge was, ironically, the opponent in the 1976 UEFA Cup final. They simply couldn’t get past a raging Liverpool, who had won three European titles in as many years.
Liverpool joined Real Madrid, Benfica, Inter, Ajax, and Bayern Munich as the sixth club to retain the trophy.
Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (pen.3-2) – 2005
Liverpool reclaimed their trophy 21 years later, but much had changed in the interim. It wasn’t even the same league anymore, having been renamed the UEFA Champions League in 1992.
Milan also won the title four times in the interim, overtaking Liverpool in the overall winners’ list. They’d grown into a force over the years and remained so by the time the final rolled around.
Dida, Cafu, Nesta, Stam, Maldini, Pirlo, Gattuso, Seefdorf, Kaka, Crespo, and Shevchenko make up that legendary Milan XI. Djimi Traore was at left-back for Liverpool, while Milan Baros was up top.
The fact that they were 3-0 down at halftime came as no surprise. However, led by Steven Gerrard and aided by a couple of masterful tactical changes from Rafa Benitez, Liverpool turned things around and won the trophy.
It is without a doubt one of the most spectacular football games ever played, perhaps even the best. Anyone fortunate enough to have witnessed it will never forget it. Let’s remember 2019 and Liverpool v Tottenham.
Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur – 2019
Jurgen Klopp bolstered his squad following a previous disappointing season and guided them to the Champions League title.
Although this team was far superior to the 2005 champions, the final was not nearly as memorable. The semi-finals were where the real magic happened.
Liverpool needed to pull off an Anfield miracle after falling behind 3-0 to Barcelona. They’d have to do it even if Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah weren’t available.
Divock Origi rose to fill the hole in some way. Gini Wijnaldum also received two. Trent Alexander-Arnold made a rapid turn.
When the final whistle blew at Anfield, Liverpool was victorious. After Salah scored an early penalty, the final was a formality in the end. To solidify his place in history, Divock Origi finished late.
But there was no doubt about it: Liverpool was the finest team in Europe again, with six Champions League victories.
Also Check – List of trophies Liverpool have won till date
