Kop 10: Liverpool’s most memorable comebacks under Jürgen Klopp

Indeed, some of the changes achieved under the German over the past nine years will forever rank among the best ever seen at the club.

As we continue to salute Klopp’s Reds reign after his final game as manager, here we pick 10 of the most memorable comebacks he has overseen…

October 2015 – Chelsea 1-3 Liverpool, Premier League

The first return of many under Klopp came on Halloween at Stamford Bridge, just three weeks into his reign.

It was just four minutes when Ramires gave Jose Mourinho’s Premier League champions the lead.

But Philippe Coutinho pulled Liverpool back before half-time with a delightful shimmy and left-foot curler on the edge of the box.

Coutinho scored his and the Reds’ second with a deflection in the 74th and Christian Benteke soon wrapped up a declared victory for the new boss.

January 2016 – Norwich City 4-5 Liverpool, Premier League

Some games are beyond analysis. Take the mayhem that unfolded this afternoon at Carrow Road, for example.

Liverpool went 1-0 up in the first half thanks to Roberto Firmino, but fell behind 3-1 in the 53rd minute as Norwich went either side of the break.

Behind came Klopp’s side, strong, and goals from Jordan Henderson, Firmino again and James Milner turned the game around for the Canaries.

The Reds’ hard work looked to have been undone when the hosts made it 4-4 through Sebastien Bassong in the final minute of the 90th.

But deep into added time, Adam Lallana pounced on a loose ball and fired a shot into the ground and into the top corner to give Liverpool a victory so ludicrous that the celebrations led to the manager’s glasses breaking.

April 2016 – Liverpool 4-3 Borussia Dortmund, Europa League

Klopp has staged a whole host of special European nights under the Anfield lights – with this thriller right up there with the best.

After a 1-1 draw at home to his former club in the Europa League quarter-finals, the Reds went down 2-0 and then 3-1 in the second leg on Merseyside.

Liverpool needed three goals inside half an hour to beat Dortmund on aggregate and got two of them through Coutinho and Mamadou Sakho.

And just when it looked like he might not be able to complete the comeback, Milner lifted a 91st-minute cross into the box at the Kop end and Dejan Lovren was in the right place to head home.

“I know this is a place for big football moments,” Klopp said afterwards. “We know about our responsibility to try to write some beautiful stories in football and tonight was a very beautiful story.”

December 2018 – Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal, Premier League

The Reds come into this encounter having won all seven of their previous games this month, conceding just twice.

Their hopes of ending the year in perfect style suffered a blow when Ainsley Maitland-Niles gave Unai Emery’s Arsenal an 11th-minute lead.

But in response, Liverpool could not have been more emphatic – with Firmino the chief conductor, they were 4-1 up at half-time.

Firmino bagged two of them, including a slalom and a sensational finish, and was joined on the scoresheet by Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. “Bobby” completed a hat-trick from the penalty spot in the second half.

“A devastating show of force,” reported the Liverpool Echo. “This is a team that operates at an incredible level in all departments.”

May 2019 – Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona, ​​Champions League

Up there with the greatest of all occasions in Anfield’s incredible history.

A somewhat harsh 3-0 defeat against Lionel Messi and team at the Camp Nou in the first leg of this semi-final left Liverpool’s hopes of reaching a second successive Champions League final looking rather bleak.

“I said to the boys: ‘I think it’s impossible, but because it’s you we have a chance’,” explained Klopp later, who was without talismans Firmino and Salah and also lost Andy Robertson to injury in game time.

Against all odds, he was right.

Divock Origi’s seventh-minute goal lifted optimism inside a split Anfield and when substitute Georginio Wijnaldum scored a quick-fire second-half double, suddenly anything was possible.

of Trent Alexander-Arnold corner taken quickly he was slotted home by Origi at the Kop end to make it four goals without reply and the miracle was complete.

“What they did tonight is so special and I will remember it forever,” Klopp said. “I don’t know if it’s happened before and I don’t know if it can happen again.”

November 2019 – Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool, Premier League

The Reds made a start to the season that would eventually bring them the club’s first league title success for 30 years.

Nine wins, a draw and zero defeats were on the board when they arrived at Villa Park in early November.

Trezeguet’s goal midway through the first half, however, gave Villa a lead they held until the closing stages.

But their champion mentality was clear for all to see when Robertson snuck in at the back post to equalize and, with 90+4 on the clock, Mane bent a header to turn Alexander-Arnold’s corner at the near post.

A dramatic and defining afternoon.

May 2021 – West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Liverpool, Premier League

A unique day in Liverpool history: a goalkeeper scoring a goal.

Not just any goal, but a crucial intervention from Alisson Becker in the 95th minute of a match the Reds simply had to find a way to win.

In the final weeks of a campaign largely played without fans in attendance due to COVID-19 restrictions – and in which Klopp’s men struggled for significant periods – they were chasing Champions League qualification.

But after Hal Robson-Kanu’s early strike was parried by Salah, the encounter looked set to die out with a draw.

Until Alexander-Arnold curled in a corner from the left that found Alisson inside the area. The Brazilian met the ball with a header that any centre-forward would be proud of, slotting it into the far corner.

“We needed a corner at the last second and our goalkeeper to score. What a goal, what a world. Incredible goal. The technique, absolutely crazy,” said Klopp.

May 2022 – Villarreal 2-3 Liverpool, Champions League

Liverpool’s pursuit of a third Champions League final appearance in five seasons was excellent when they took a 2-0 lead from the first leg of their semi-final.

But Emery’s Villarreal halved that deficit three minutes into the second leg in Spain as they ran out of the blocks to trouble the Reds.

When Francis Coquelin headed over to level the yellow submarine in general just before the interval, El Madrigal were rattled and so were the away side.

Among Klopp’s moves to halt the hosts’ momentum was the introduction of Luis Diaz from the bench, and the Colombian was a catalyst for a stylish comeback.

Fabinho fired in Liverpool’s first goal of the comeback, Diaz quickly followed up with a second and Mane sealed a win on the night and a tie overall.

August 2023 – Newcastle United 1-2 Liverpool, Premier League

Things couldn’t be worse for Klopp’s ‘Liverpool 2.0′ in this pre-season meeting at St. James’ Park.

Less than half an hour had passed and not only had Anthony Gordon given the Magpies the lead, Reds captain Virgil van Dijk was shown a straight red card.

But the visitors chip in, keep the deficit at one and, as time steadily ticks away, begin to sense a way back into the contest. That something is salvageable.

Jarell Quansah is coming to an end for a discouraging debut that he is coming off of flawlessly. At the other end, Darwin Nunez is sent on to rattle Newcastle’s defence.

He does much more.

A precise low shot over the keeper equalizes in the 81st minute. On 90+3, Nunez shapes his run to collect the pass via Salah from a similar position down the right channel and slot home an unerring finish to pull off a stunning win .

January 2024 – Liverpool 2-1 Fulham, Carabao Cup

A vital twist on the road to Klopp’s final trophy as Liverpool manager, and one that happened almost in the blink of an eye.

Willian’s first-half effort gave the Cottagers a lead in the first leg of the semi-final at Anfield, with the advantage held for three quarters of the game.

But Klopp’s double introduction of Cody Gakpo and Nunez off the bench just before the hour mark proved pivotal in the night and the tie.

Nunez soon set up Curtis Jones to lift the Reds with the benefit of a deflection. Then, within three minutes, the Uruguayan hit the byline and picked out Gakpo around the near post to convert.

Liverpool were on top for the rest of the tie, with this blitz a key moment in their journey to lifting the Carabao Cup at Wembley the following month.