If there was a victory that underlined the true value of Jurgen Klopp taking over at Liverpool, their comeback victory against Borussia Dortmund in April 2016 with a squad overflowing with misfits is a fine place to begin.
Klopp had barely got through his first eight months at Liverpool before the inevitable luck of the draw pitted him against his former club, after they had parted ways in 2014-15, despite winning two Bundesliga titles and reaching a Champions League final. But as it turned out, it would prove to be a huge test of just how far the German and his new club had come since their mutual uncoupling.
Neither club were in a great position in 2015-16 and so it was perhaps ideal that they met in the Europa League quarter-finals. After securing a favourable 1-1 draw at Signal Iduna Park, the Reds would have felt confident going into the second leg. But Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored inside the first 10 minutes at Anfield to put their progress under serious question.
On the 27th anniversary of the Hillsbrought disaster that took the lives of 97 people, Liverpool’s players would have been desperate to provide a fitting tribute with a win, and this contest was certainly not lacking in its attempts to make the occasion even more memorable.
The German giants were rampant in the opening stages and missed several chances to extend their 3-1 aggregate lead. Perhaps it was those missed opportunities that opened up the possibility it could be Liverpool’s night, especially when Divock Origi give them a glimmer of hope just after the interval.
Even when Marco Reus made it 3-1 on the night, requiring the Merseysiders to find three goals in 25 minutes to advance to the semi-finals, there was renewed belief. Philippe Coutinho showed his class with a low effort and Mamadou Sakho’s header put the Reds on the verge of completing a remarkable turnaround.
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As the clock ticked down, it looked less likely they would be able to find an incredible winner. But the noise inside Anfield suggested differently, with encouragement from all corners of the stadium, and with 89 minutes on the clock, the moment arrived.
Daniel Sturridge and James Milner combined on the right-hand side and the latter somehow squeezed his cross in from the byline to the far post. Waiting for the right time to pounce was the towering centre-back Dejan Lovren, who powered home a bullet header past Roman Weidenfeller to spark pandemonium in the stands.
No one can say for sure, but it may have been the first time Klopp’s iconic first pump of the air came to the fore. There was no time to consider muted celebrations or respect for former clubs — this was pure emotion. Liverpool had achieved the unthinkable on a memorable night at Anfield, and it might well have proved to be a sliding doors moment for his side too in the years to come.
The German would experience his first heartbreak in English football when his side lost to Europa League experts Sevilla in the 2015-16 final. But if anything, it made them hungrier for success.
The next season, Klopp finally signed long-term target Sadio Mane, captured Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle and swooped to steal Joel Matip from Schalke on a free transfer. Those transfers would be key in reaching the next stage of Klopp’s plan for domestic and European domination. The spine of Klopp’s side was starting to emerge and, having rid his squad of any deadwood, their backbone became ultimately much stronger.
Bit by bit, Klopp added to his ranks with two or three key signings every summer — and the quality improved every time. In 2017-18, it was Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk; in 2018-19, Alisson Becker and Fabinho arrived.
By the time Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota joined in 2020-21, this squad was enriched with talent. The only remaining members from that night at Anfield six years ago are Origi, Milner and Roberto Firmino, showing how Klopp has overseen a dramatic transformation of the playing staff and also their fortunes on the pitch.
With the Carabao Cup in the bag already and semi-finals in the Champions League and FA Cup to look forward to, Liverpool are now eyeing an unprecedented quadruple — and the dream is looking more realistic with every passing game, even if Klopp refuses to acknowledge it.
But just like that famous night at Anfield on April 14, 2016, there may be a small part of him that believes it is possible.
The Liverpool XI that beat Dortmund 4-3 at Anfield (5-4 on aggregate): Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno; Henderson, Can; Lallana, Firmino, Coutinho; Origi.
