Liverpool beat Dortmund, advance to Europa league semis

• Posted on April 15, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Liverpool incredibly stormed into the Europa League semifinals 5-4 on aggregate after an improbable 4-3 defeat of Borussia Dortmund in their second leg tie on Thursday at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp’s men fought back from deficits all night before finally overtaking his former team at the death

On Wednesday, Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel pledged his team would be on the attack former coach Klopp’s side at Anfield, and attack they did early, finding the net within five minutes through a lightning-quick counter-attack.

Liverpool 4-3 Borussia Dortmund FT [Leg 2 Aggregate: 5 – 4]

Gonzalo Castro’s lobbed pass from the top of the 18-yard box played in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose first-time volley was saved by Simon Mignolet but directly into the path of Henrikh Mkhitaryan who side-footed into a gaping net from six yards out.

Dortmund didn’t let off the gas and made it 2-0 just five minutes later from another swift counter.

Marco Reus’ slide-rule through ball from midfield found Aubameyang racing behind the Liverpool defence, where the Gabon fired his shot past Simon Mignolet and high into the near-post corner.

Liverpool carved out their first clear chance of the half in the 17th minute. Divock Origi, who scored the goal in the first leg, had his shot from close range deflected by a sliding defender before hitting the near-post upright and falling out of play.

Origi worked himself into good position on 25 minutes, but his chipped, first-time shot from a low cross sailed across Roman Weidenfeller’s goal and into touch.

Origi, though, had Liverpool on the scoresheet four minutes after the break, collecting a Emre Can through ball and sliding his shot underneath an onrushing Weidenfeller.

But Dortmund appeared to put the tie out of reach in the 57th minute through another crisp counter — Reus’ wonderfully-curled shot into Mignolet’s far post leaving the sprawling Liverpool keeper no chance.

Philippe pulled another goal back in the 66th minute, working a fine one-two at the top of the box before rifling low into Weidenfeller’s far corner.

Liverpool were within a goal of an epic comeback with 13 minutes remaining. From a corner, Mamadou Sakho, left alone in the box, steered home Coutinho’s bounced cross amid wild celebrations from the home supporters.

And the scenes got even more wild in second-half stoppage time — Dejan Lovren rising to meet a sumptuous cross from the right and nodding past a helpless Weidenfeller and into the near post, capping off an epic night for Klopp’s Reds.