Come June 1, 2019, the footballing world would be watching two English soccer teams battling for the UEFA Champions title, thanks to two shocking semifinals comebacks from Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspurs.
The two comebacks against Spanish side Barcelona and Ajax of Netherlands, has resulted in this year’s all English affair Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspurs.
The 2019 UEFA Champions League Final would be played at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain on June 1, 2019.
Tottenham Hotspurs would be playing first ever Champions League final on that night.
Liverpool was finalists of the previous season and lost to Spanish side, Real Madrid.
On Tuesday night, May 7, Liverpool produced yet one of the greatest UEFA Champions League comebacks of all time.
After losing 3-0 to Spanish La Liga winners, Barcelona in its Champions League semifinals first leg at the Camp Nou in Spain a week ago, there were doubts that Liverpool could progress to the final stage of the tournament this season.
But in a returned leg at home on Anfield, the whole footballing world was greatly shocked as Liverpool mauled Barcelona 4-0 in front of home supporters.
The Anfield results helped the team to progress to this year’s final on a 4-3 aggregate.
The score line at Anfield was opened on the 7th minute by D. Origi.
Liverpool ended the first half of the match with a 1-0 lead, coming back to extend its lead in the second half with a goal from G. Wijnaldum on the 54th minute.
The score increased to 3-0 as Wijnaldum netted his second on the night on 56th minute, leveling the aggregate at 3-3.
A 79th minute goal from Origi was enough to seal Liverpool’s shocking comeback and to see Barcelona dropping out of the Champions League.
For Tottenham Hotspurs, a 1-0 first leg defeat in its own backyard, was not enough to stop it from progressing to the finals.
It managed to overturn its 1-0 home defeat to Ajax on Wednesday night in Amsterdam.
The English side won the Amsterdam match 3-2, ending on a 3-3 aggregate with Ajax, and progressing to the Madrid final
The UEFA Champions League has produced quiet a number of shocking comebacks.
Juventus, Deportivo La Corina, Chelsea, AS Monaco, are some of the teams that have produced some of the greatest comebacks ever.
It would be recalled that during the 2003/04 season, the first leg of the quarter final clash between Deportivo La Coruna and AC Milan played at the San Siro ended 4-1 in favor of Milan
The second leg played in Spain saw Deportivo extinguish the Italians advantage in the first half with three goals spread across the half.
Deportivo went on to score another in the 76 minute to ensure their passage to the next round.
BY Melvin Tarlue