Liverpool added another piece of the silverware to the cabinet with a dramatic 5-4 win on penalties in the UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea.
The Reds’ quest to continue to add to the honours board brought them back to a city which holds tremendous significance for the club stretching back to that night in 2005.
And the encounter proved to be a momentous occasion for a number of reasons, one of which was the appointment of Stephanie Frappart, who became the first woman to referee a major European men’s game.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side were greeted by a Besiktas Park crowd who were heavily in favour of the team from Merseyside, but there was little to cheer about for large parts of the first-half as Chelsea came out on top to take a lead into the interval.
But they would soon be pegged back after Roberto Firmino made an instant impact to set up Sadio Mane with a stunning deft touch.
A topsy-turvy and controversial encounter would soon follow as the game was forced into extra-time with Mane again finding the net to establish a lead, before Adrian was penalised in the box moments later to allow Chelsea to equalise from the spot.
And while it was a night whereby players were left on a heap on the floor, one final push was required in a penalty shootout.
It was the perfect platform for Adrian to cement his place in club history and he did just that by denying Tammy Abraham to secure a 5-4 win on penalties, earning himself a mass celebration from his teammates and manager.
Jordan Henderson was again on hand to provide the perfect trophy lift as Liverpool’s success in Europe in 2019 continued, and the players, rightfully, couldn’t wipe the smiles off their faces.
Next on the horizon for Liverpool is a trip to Southampton for the second Premier League fixture of the season, where Klopp’s men will look to make it two from two.
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