Can Liverpool Conquer Europe?

Liverpool’s Champions League charge this season has shown no signs of letting up as we get to the business end of the campaign. It is these next few days and weeks in which we will see not only who makes the final but also who goes onto lift the trophy in Kyiv at the end of May.

Going into the Semi-final draw, it is fair to say that Liverpool will have been hoping to avoid both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, as in doing so it would give them a much easier route to the Ukrainian capital where the showpiece final will be held.

The other team left in the quarter of Semi-final qualifiers were relative minnows Roma, although that comment probably does them something of a disservice as they had just knocked out Catalan giants Barcelona in the previous round.

That said though, there is no secret that everyone connected with Liverpool will have been hoping if not praying that they were paired with Roma and not one of the two European heavyweights that were also lying in wait.

And those prayers were answered, which meant we would be treated to a repeat of the 1984 European Cup Final when Liverpool went all the way to the Stadio Olimpico and delivered a fourth victory in this competition in the space of seven years.

The 70’s and 80’s were undoubtedly a period of continental dominance for the Merseyside outfit and since then there has only been one additional lifting of the trophy which symbolises Europe’s top club competition.

That came in arguably the most dramatic final of recent times, this of course being back in 2005 when Rafael Benitez masterminded an incredible comeback from 3-0 down to finally get the better of A.C Milan in Istanbul.

And although the two teams would meet again just two years later, this time around it was the Italian outfit who would exact revenge for the humiliating defeat as Liverpool had to make do with being the bridesmaid rather than the bride.

It’s been 11 years since Liverpool have taken part in a Champions League final, a record that Jurgen Klopp can only be too aware with. The weight of history can sometimes prove to be a difficult burden to remove, but with this current crop of players that the former Dortmund boss has at his disposal they look capable of making their own history.

That is because they turned in a sensational first leg performance in their Semi-final clash with Roma. It was nothing short of a rout as they raced into a 5-0 lead, a score line that left the visiting players and manager Eusebio Di Francesco shell shocked.

Admittedly the perfect performance was slightly tarnished by the fact that Roma managed two away goals late on, but that should not take away the fact that Liverpool were simply relentless in front of their own fans.

That result makes them clear favourites to progress to the Champions League Final, with many already betting on this outcome. If you are new to placing a punt on sports and would like to learn how to bet on football and win on BettingInstitute.co.uk then you could end up sharing in the Reds’ success.

If Liverpool avoid Roma establishing another shock second leg comeback at the Stadio Olimpico and in turn being dumped out of the competition then the focus will move onto facing either holders, Real Madrid or Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the final.

And with the way they have brushed past all before them so far in this competition then they will have absolutely no reason to fear either Cristiano Ronaldo or Robert Lewandowski, especially when they have their own goal scoring threat in Mohamed Salah.

Real Madrid are not the vintage team they once were – a point that has already been proven in this season’s competition after a defeat to Tottenham, while Bayern Munich have been rarely tested as they strolled to another German league title under manager Jupp Heynckes.

Liverpool will undoubtedly have the belief, if anything they will be brimming with confidence regardless of who they get paired with in Kyiv. No Premier League team has won this competition since 2012, could that streak finally come to an end as an English team conquers Europe once more?