Liverpool’s best away days under Jurgen Klopp – from Munich to Manchester

Jurgen Klopp’s final farewell to Liverpool is a week away, but another milestone comes even sooner.

The German leads his side in an away game for the last time on Monday, with Liverpool traveling to Aston Villa – the scene of some of his most memorable moments in charge (good and bad).

To mark the occasion, we asked our experts to select their favorite Klopp away games from the past nine years in domestic and European competition. Let us know your picks in the comments section at the bottom of the article.

Bayern Munich 1 Liverpool 3

Champions League, March 13, 2019

Liverpool were held to a tough 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Champions League final at Anfield to leave Bayern Munich in the driving seat.

Ahead of the second leg in Bavaria, Klopp’s side saw their Premier League title hopes dented by draws against rivals Manchester United and Everton.

Doubts about Liverpool’s ability to make the leap from challengers to trophy winners have resurfaced. So much was on the line at the Allianz Arena and what they delivered against the Bundesliga champions was a complete European away performance.

It was a lofted pass from Virgil van Dijk and a fine touch from Sadio Mane who beat Manuel Neuer as he turned and fired home.

Mats Hummels can’t stop Sadio Mane’s goal (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)

When Joel Matip deflected Serge Gnabry’s cross into his own net to restore parity before the break, nerves frayed but Liverpool regained control with a dominant second-half display.

Van Dijk’s header from James Milner’s corner was followed by Mane who scored his second of the night after good work from Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool were solid defensively, tireless in midfield and punched forward. “We set a sign tonight that LFC are back at the top level of European football,” Klopp said afterwards.

Bayern weren’t just beaten, they were humiliated in their own backyard. That prized scalp provided the perfect launching pad in the pursuit of silverware.

James Pearce

Premier League, 21 November 2015

Klopp’s story with Liverpool has been a slow-burn, gradual improvement that has delivered a top-four finish in his second season, a Champions League final in his third, a Premier League title challenge and Champions League glory in his fourth and that elusive Premier League title in his fifth.

But even in his first few months on Merseyside, there have been some spectacular performances and results (as well as some terrible ones). He was just five weeks into the job when they went to the Etihad Stadium and produced a stunning performance, racing into a 3-0 lead inside 32 minutes with an unexpected display of free-flowing football in front of his feet.

Roberto Firmino scores Liverpool’s third goal at Manchester City (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Roberto Firmino had been viewed with some suspicion, having failed to score in his first 13 appearances since a summer move from Hoffenheim, but this was the game where he really came to life in a Liverpool shirt, setting up the first two goals (the first an own goal). by Eliaquim Mangala, the second a tap-in for Philippe Coutinho) before scoring the converted third after a good move involving Emre Can and Coutinho.

Victory was secured in the closing stages by a lightning strike from Martin Skrtel’s right foot. It was that kind of evening.

Oliver Kay

Premier League, 2 November 2019

Almost everything that could have gone wrong for Liverpool went wrong at Villa Park – and they still won, by two late goals.

The commentary that followed referred to ‘lucky Liverpool’ when they were in fact terribly unlucky before Andy Robertson’s equalizer and Sadio Mane’s free-kick winner.

Andy Robertson equalizes for Villa (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Goals were ruled out (probably because of Firmino’s armpit hair), penalties that should have been awarded were missed by the officials, and Villa probably should have been reduced to 10 men but were instead allowed to try to fight against his fierce resistance. Liverpool with a full complement of players.

However, Liverpool came through and got a win that provided convincing evidence that Liverpool would become champions for the first time in 30 years.

Without this win, we might not have beaten Manchester City so resoundingly at home the following weekend. From there, a huge gap began to open. Away at Villa Park, everyone seemed to appreciate the implications.

Simon Hughes

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Premier League, 26 December 2019

On their way to the 2019-20 Premier League title, Liverpool could have enjoyed more dramatic and memorable victories, but they rarely looked more dominant than in their 4-0 win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

They arrived on a cold Boxing Day evening with a dominance and ruthlessness that proved Leicester – champions three years ago – were nothing more than pretenders and Liverpool the top dogs.

This was Klopp’s side at their peak. The Salah-Firmino-Mane link worked in complete harmony. The impenetrable back two of Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Van Dijk and Robertson took no prisoners. It was all woven together by the energy of Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Naby Keita in midfield.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was among Liverpool’s goalscorers at Leicester (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Firmino’s header from the back of an Alexander-Arnold cross finally got the ball rolling after Liverpool missed early chances. He couldn’t stop after that.

The lead was not doubled until the 71st minute, but victory was never in doubt. Klopp’s red car was purring. James Milner converted from the penalty spot and then Alexander-Arnold and Firmino combined again.

Alexander-Arnold ended the game – and the flurry of three goals in seven minutes – with a clean strike that felt like a fitting way to cover the goal.

Andy Jones

Everton 0-1 Liverpool

Premier League, 19 December 2016

This visit to Goodison came at an odd time. Everton were still on their honeymoon with Farhad Moshiri and seemed to be swimming in money. The Klopp effect did not apply at Liverpool in the German’s first full season.

There was a great sense of optimism on the pitch before the game. Evertonians were there to witness the changing of the guard. That mood evaporated during the match. As time went on, the home fans got more and more rowdy and the away section got louder.

When the fourth official raised his board, it indicated eight minutes of stoppage time. There was a gasp. Everyone knew what was coming.

Sadio Mane celebrates his late winner at Everton (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Mane got the plaudits for his 94th-minute goal, but the man of the match was Ragnar Klavan, who beat Romelu Lukaku.

There was no change of power on Merseyside. Instead, the embryonic “mindset monsters” pointed to a glorious future for Liverpool.

Tony Evans

Manchester United 0-5 Liverpool

Premier League, 24 October 2021

Liverpool arrived at Old Trafford in fine form at the start of the 2021-22 season.

Eight games played and 18 points on the board, Klopp’s men were unbeaten until the end of October and were second in the table before traveling to Manchester.

Coming off the back of a 5-0 win away at Watford the week before, United needed a plan to stop Liverpool’s attacking prowess. That plan lasted just five minutes as Liverpool broke through the opposition defense with a well-worked sequence finished by Keita.

Goals two, three and four all came in the first half as Liverpool showed little mercy to their fiercest rivals – one from Diogo Jota and two from Salah putting the game to bed before the break. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s face spoke his own image. United fans leaving the stadium before the second half told another.

Salah grabbed his third – and Liverpool’s fifth – before the hour mark, where Liverpool appeared to show United mercy, allowing fans to count the score on one hand.

Mohamed Salah completes his Old Trafford hat-trick (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Five-nil wins are sweet, but five-nil wins at Old Trafford against your greatest rivals in history are surely the sweetest of all.

Mark Carey

Premier League, 14 August 2016

In the opening game of Klopp’s first full season in charge, Liverpool gave a hint of what was to come by dismantling Arsenal in a 20-minute spell either side of half-time.

This rollercoaster win was a microcosm of their season; swashbuckling in attack but porous in defence.

Alberto Moreno looked determined to sabotage any early season hopes, not only conceding a penalty but also allowing Theo Walcott to escape his clutches and open the scoring. Milner duly came in at left-back for the remainder of the season and Moreno’s Liverpool career never recovered.

But the fun and games really began after Walcott’s opener.

Liverpool’s new-look front three of Firmino, Coutinho and Mane ran Arsenal ragged. Coutinho scored twice – including a stunning free-kick – and Mane produced one of the best debut goals the Premier League has ever seen; slalomed through three Arsenal defenders before smashing the ball into the top corner and celebrating by leaping onto Klopp’s back. That made it 4-1 just after the hour mark.

Jurgen Klopp is manhandled in celebration of Sadio Mane’s goal (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Two typically sloppy late goals created a danger but Liverpool held on for a statement win against one of their traditional rivals. It felt like a watershed moment and more evidence that Klopp was turning doubters into believers.

Adam Jones

(Top photos: Getty Images)