Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool need a miracle at Anfield as they face La Liga winners Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final second leg.
Liverpool have been handed encouragement from an unlikely source ahead of their Champions League ‘Mission Improbable’ against Barcelona tonight, with Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan telling Goal the tie is still alive.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have a mountain to climb at Anfield after losing 3-0 in the Camp Nou a week ago, Lionel Messi putting the Premier League giants to the sword with a marvellous second half display in Catalunya.
To make matters worse, Liverpool will need to score four goals without reply despite the injury-enforced absence of both Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino.
Despite the mounting odds, however, Gundogan has backed Manchester City’s Premier League title rivals to cause one of the biggest shocks in Champions League history in front of what is likely to be a vociferous Anfield crowd.
“I’ve already thought about it and somehow I have the feeling that it’s not over yet,” the German international said.
“I can even imagine Liverpool winning the game 4-0 at home. I don’t know why, but I think that at Anfield, and Klopp as a motivational machine and with the types of players that are very unpleasant to play against, even a team like Barca can be completely shut down in one game.”
Gundogan knows Klopp well from his time with Borussia Dortmund though the Liverpool manager is facing up to the genuine possibility of yet another trophyless season on Merseyside.
The Reds are one point behind Manchester City with just a single Premier League fixture remaining.
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