Revival offers hope for Real mission impossible
LIVERPOOL 2 ASTON VILLA 1
FINALLY, a fightback at Anfield. Now for another comeback.
This win ended a six-game losing streak on Merseyside for Liverpool and kept them in the hunt for a Champions League spot.
It also gave them a glimmer of hope in the European competition this season.
Of course, it does not make overturning a 3-1 first-leg deficit against Real Madrid any easier.
But, for the first time in a long while, Liverpool have a taste again of battling back when it has not gone their way. Jurgen Klopp’s side did not drop their heads when Ollie Watkins fired Aston Villa in front after the Reds’ defensive frailties were exposed in the 42nd minute.
Nor did they wave the white flag after Roberto Firmino had a goal chalked off by VAR – which judged Diogo Jota to be offside by the smallest of margins in the build-up.
Since the turn of the year at home, the Reds have run out of ideas and it looked like a repeat on Saturday even after Mo Salah headed home in the 57th minute.
But Trent AlexanderArnold took matters into his own hands in stoppage time, curling in a beautiful effort from 20 yards.
This was a big moment that can give Liverpool momentum for Wednesday’s crunch quarter-final.
“Whatever it can do, we will take,” said Klopp. “We need a perfect performance if we want to have a chance.
“The way we played and the way Real Madrid played there, it doesn’t look very promising but the good thing is we can play better.
“It will be a tough one but we will give it a try, I promise. That’s the only thing we can say. This today helps, of course.
“When you are in a moment and you win everything, you don’t feel the intensity, you just want to play the next game and you could play the next game the next day.
“Whatever it will give us for Wednesday, we will use.”