The Reds were thrashed 3-0 by a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona team at the Camp Nou in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in 2019, but Jurgen Klopp’s side responded with a memorable night at Anfield the following week.
Liverpool won the match 4-0 to advance to the final, and the Premier League team went on to win their sixth European Cup that season.
Last week, Atalanta defeated the Reds 3–0 in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie, and Klopp has reminded his men to remember what the Merseyside club did to Barcelona.
However, this time around it will be more difficult as the Premier League giants will not have the help of Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp wants his Liverpool team to believe in Europa League comeback
“I remember (before Barcelona) I said, ‘If we fail, let’s fail in the most beautiful way’,” Jurgen Klopp said during his press conference on Wednesday via the Daily Mail.
“And that’s exactly how I see it again. We want to win the game. If we want to win, we better play good. If we play good, we have a chance. After the game (last week), everyone in the stadium thought, ‘That’s it’. But a week later, I don’t think everybody thinks it’s already decided.
“I have been long enough in this business to know it is two legs, it is over when it is over. We are still allowed to play tomorrow, we are 100,000 per cent focused. We are only here to play football – but I cannot win this game in this press conference today.”
Liverpool need to go for it on Thursday if they want to finish the Klopp era on a high as their Premier League hopes also received a blow last week having been defeated by Crystal Palace.
