UEFA Champions League
The Road to Madrid
From Anfield to Madrid, Liverpool FC played 13 games in six different countries en-route to winning the UEFA Champions League final. This is the story of how we did it...
Matchday 1 – Group Stage
Liverpool FC 3-2 Paris Saint-Germain FC
Roberto Firmino came off the bench to score a dramatic stoppage-time winner to get Liverpool FC's UEFA Champions League campaign off to a flying start. Daniel Sturridge opened the scoring with a header and a James Milner penalty made it 2-0, but Thomas Meunier pulled one back before the break. Kylian Mbappe seemed to have snatched a point for Paris Saint-Germain FC, but substitute Firmino fired home the winner before celebrating with his hand over the eye he had injured the previous weekend.
Matchday 2 – Group Stage
SSC Napoli 1-0 Liverpool FC
A 90th minute goal from Lorenzo Insigne handed SCC Napoli victory at Stadio San Paolo after a resolute defensive performance appeared to have been enough to earn Liverpool FC a point. Alisson made some good saves, Joe Gomez cleared Jose Callejon's effort off the line and Dries Mertens hit the crossbar as the hosts dominated the second half, before Insigne snatched a late winner.
Matchday 3 – Group Stage
Liverpool FC 4-0 Red Star Belgrade
Mo Salah scored his 49th and 50th goals in his 65th Liverpool FC appearance to put the Reds top of Champions League Group C with a comfortable 4-0 win against the Serbian champions. Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané – who had a second half penalty saved – were also on target amidst an unusual Anfield atmosphere with FK Crvena zvezda fans banned from attending the game by UEFA. It was a special night for Salah who reached 50 goals quicker than any other LFC player, breaking the record of 50 goals in 77 games set by Albert Stubbins in 1948.
Matchday 4 – Group Stage
Red Star Belgrade 2-0 Liverpool FC
A first-half double from Serbian striker Milan Pavkov condemned Liverpool FC to a 2-0 defeat in Belgrade. Daniel Sturridge missed the Reds' best chance in the first half while Mo Salah struck a post after the interval. Divock Origi was brought on for his first appearance of the season, but Liverpool FC couldn't break down a stubborn FK Crvena Zvezda defence in the atmospheric Stadion Rajko Mitic.
Matchday 5 – Group Stage
Paris Saint-Germain FC 2-1 Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC were left needing to beat SCC Napoli in the final group game at Anfield to stand a chance of progressing to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League following this 2-1 defeat in Paris. Juan Bernat and Neymar were on target for the hosts after Marco Verratti was fortunate to only be booked for a shuddering challenge on Joe Gomez. James Milner pulled a goal back from the penalty spot after Sadio Mané was upended by Angel di Maria, but the Reds couldn't find an equaliser. It meant they now had to beat SCC Napoli 1-0 – or by two clear goals if the Italians scored on matchday six to go through to the last 16.
Matchday 6 – Group Stage
Liverpool FC 1-0 SCC Napoli
The Reds progressed to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League thanks to a goal from Mo Salah and a stunning 92nd minute save by Alisson from Arkadiusz Milik. With Liverpool FC needing various scoreline permutations to reach the knockout stage it was Salah's 34th minute shot, which beat Napoli keeper David Ospina at his near post, that made the difference. Liverpool FC missed other chances to extend their lead and when the ball fell to Milik, just six yards out, in stoppage-time he seemed certain to score only for Alisson to make an outstanding, crucial block.
Matchday 7 – Round of 16
Liverpool FC 0-0 FC Bayern Munich
As they had previously done in 1971 and 1981, FC Bayern Munich earned a 0-0 draw at Anfield with a defensive-minded display that limited Liverpool FC to just two shots on target. Sadio Mané dragged a first-half shot wide of Manuel Neuer's post while Joel Matip could've scored at both ends with Alisson blocking his misdirected clearance before he fired Roberto Firmino's cross wide. Mo Salah also had a header off target and Neuer saved from Mané late on, but although the Reds didn't win they extended their unbeaten home run in Europe to 20 games.
Matchday 8 – Round of 16
FC Bayern Munich 1-3 Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC beat FC Bayern Munich on their own ground for the first time to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-final. In doing so the Reds also became the first English club to have won in all four of the Allianz Arena, Camp Nou, Bernabeu and San Siro stadiums. Sadio Mane opened the scoring after brilliantly controlling a Virgil van Dijk pass, turning Manuel Neuer and slotting home. Bayern forced an own goal in off Joel Matip, but a towering van Dijk header from James Milner's corner put Jürgen Klopp's men ahead before Manérose highest to nod a Mo Salah cross into the net. It was Mané’s seventh away goal in the UEFA Champions League, a new LFC club record.
Matchday 9 – Quarter-final
Liverpool FC 2-0 FC Porto
Goals from Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino in the opening 26 minutes gave Liverpool FC a first-leg advantage against FC Porto as the two sides met again for the second season running. Keita's strike, which deflected in off Oliver Torres, was his first goal at Anfield for the Reds while Firmino's was his 14thin the Champions League with only Steven Gerrard having scored more. Sadio Mané would also have had his 14th in the competition had his second half effort not been ruled out for offside, while Alisson was forced to make one smart save as he kept another clean sheet to take to Portugal.
Matchday 10 – Quarter-final
FC Porto 1-4 Liverpool FC
A year after hitting five goals in Estádio do Dragão the Reds returned to FC Porto and netted four to reach the UEFA Champions League semi-final 6-1 on aggregate. The home side started well, but after Sadio Mané’s opener was awarded by VAR, after initially being ruled out for offside, the Reds took control. Mo Salah made it 2-0 after being sent clear by Trent Alexander-Arnold and although Eder Militao headed a goal back from a corner, Roberto Firmino's header from Jordan Henderson's cross ended Porto's faint hopes. There was still time for Virgil van Dijk to nod home a fourth – just as the travelling Kop were singing his name.
Matchday 11 – Semi-final
FC Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool FC
A goal from Luis Suarez and a Lionel Messi double gave FC Barcelona a 3-0 first leg lead at Camp Nou. The Reds dominated possession but were unable to take their chances following Suarez' opening goal. Marc-Andre ter Stegen denied James Milner twice and Mo Salah before Messi tapped home after Suarez hit the crossbar. He then scored his 600th goal for FC Barcelona with a world-class free-kick. Substitute Roberto Firmino had a shot cleared off the line and Salah thumped the rebound against the post, but the Reds fell to a first ever defeat at Camp Nou, their UEFA Champions League dream surely over.
Matchday 12 – Semi-final
Liverpool FC 4-0 FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona were left stunned as Liverpool FC completed the most famous comeback in Anfield history to reach the UEFA Champions League final with a 4-0 win. Without Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita, Jürgen Klopp's side turned in an outstanding performance. Divock Origi tapped home a seventh minute opener before an incredible second half unfolded. Gini Wijnaldum, on for the injured Andy Robertson, fired home Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross to make it 2-0 in the 54th minute. Thirty-one seconds after the restart Wijnaldum then headed home Xherdan Shaqiri's cross to level the aggregate score. The scene was set for a dramatic winner and it came from Origi when Alexander-Arnold caught the FC Barcelona defence out with a quickly-taken corner for the Belgian to ram the ball home. 4-0! Anfield was buzzing and Liverpool FC were going to Madrid.
Matchday 13 – Final
Tottenham Hotspur FC 0-2 Liverpool FC
Liverpool Football Club became Champions of Europe for a sixth time after a 2-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur FC in Madrid. Thousands of Reds flocked to the Spanish capital to enjoy the pre-match festivities and they saw their team go 1-0 up in the second minute at Estadio Metropolitano when Mo Salah successfully converted a penalty after Moussa Sissoko blocked a Sadio Mané cross with his arm. Andy Robertson forced Hugo Lloris to push his fizzing drive over, but after the break Spurs created opportunities only to be repeatedly denied by Alisson. The Liverpool FC goalkeeper made eight saves, a new record in a UEFA Champions League final. At the other end it was semi-final hero Divock Origi who clinched the 2-0 victory when he received Joel Matip's pass and shot low into the bottom corner. Kopites all over the world celebrated. Liverpool FC were kings of Europe again.