Liverpool fans could not believe the way Man City collapsed in their Champions League semi-final, with the focus now on getting revenge over Real Madrid.
The Reds booked their flight to Paris with a 5-2 aggregate victory over Villareal, including a 3-2 comeback win in the second leg in Spain on Tuesday night.
Jurgen Klopp, his players and the supporters all turned their attention to the other semi-final the following evening, with City heading to the Bernabeu holding a 4-3 lead.
It all looked to be plain sailing for Pep Guardiola’s side when Riyad Mahrez struck in the 73rd minute, but two stoppage-time goals from Rodrygo turned the tie on its head and guaranteed extra time.
Then Ruben Dias brought down Karim Benzema and allowed the Frenchman to step up and score the winner from the spot – ensuring Guardiola’s 11-year wait for another Champions League trophy continues despite boasting the wealth of the UAE.
Real Madrid await in the final on May 28, and taking to Twitter after the result, Liverpool fans were in joyous disbelief.
Another Man City collapse was relished…
Adios @ManCity pic.twitter.com/QBVjjr3OSk
— The Liverpool Way (@theliverpoolway) May 4, 2022
??? pic.twitter.com/QZ5IVwY84t
— Billy Liddell (@Liddellpool) May 4, 2022
I guess European football isn't for everyone pic.twitter.com/cDLd2ud64x
— Green Scouser (@Green_Scouser) May 4, 2022
incredibly here for Pep Guardiola finding new and amazing ways to fail in the Champions League thanks Pep
— nate (@natefc) May 4, 2022
Unlucky Pep. I’m looking forward to him trying to blame Liverpool for this one.
Bring on Madrid. We owe them one!! pic.twitter.com/e5vsj3BxYE
— Jamie Holme (@JamieHolme) May 4, 2022
How many times did Real score in the 90th minute Pep? ? pic.twitter.com/rPZTr09XyE
— Dan Holland (@danhollandlfc) May 4, 2022
1.6billion spent and he still can’t win a @ChampionsLeague without Messi
— SimonBrundish (@SimonBrundish) May 4, 2022
Gutted. Defo would have got some tickets if city were in the final.
— Graeme Kelly (@GraemeKelly1) May 4, 2022
I still can't believe how Man City have bottled this. Utter madness. What have we just watched.
— Jonathan Higgins (@Jhiggins3) May 4, 2022
https://twitter.com/Chris78Williams/status/1521971811252162563
Drunk on schadenfreude.
— Erin Mc Asterisk (@ErinNYC75) May 4, 2022
That was tremendous fun.
Also, absolutely hilarious.— JJ Devaney (@JJDevaney) May 4, 2022
While the message on Real was one of revenge for 2018…
Can’t wait! We owe them one ?? https://t.co/vNxZe6hDGq
— Neil Mellor (@NeilMellor33) May 4, 2022
We owe Madrid big time. Bring it on!
— Green Scouser (@Green_Scouser) May 4, 2022
Klopp and the players will be made up about that, make no doubt about it. They will have celebrated the goals.
Madrid are horribly dangerous and always seem to find a way, but a City final would've been so grim.
— Henry Jackson (@HenryJackson87) May 4, 2022
Anyway, much happier to be playing RMadrid. Hate all-English finals, and have had enough of the head-to-heads with City for a while, esp with title race. Feels like a chance to get some payback for 2018, albeit I don't like term "revenge". (That said, if Ramos was still there ?)
— Paul Tomkins (@paul_tomkins) May 4, 2022
In the city of his birth, I propose Kylian Mbappe signs for the winners of Liverpool versus Real Madrid
— John O'Sullivan (@NotoriousJOS) May 4, 2022
In Paris @LFC @realmadriden #ChampionsLeague final. European Royalty ? pic.twitter.com/2SLaHZ7WbH
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) May 4, 2022
Liverpool vs Real Madrid
Champions League Final pic.twitter.com/WyXyO1zGqM— Red (@TaintlessRed) May 5, 2022
Revenge is a pan of Scouse best served cold.
— LFCZA ?? (@LFCZA) May 4, 2022
With Liverpool and Man City playing out a fierce rivalry as arguably the two best sides in world football at present, there was a measure of expectancy over an all-English Champions League final.
But you can never count out Real Madrid, particularly under Carlo Ancelotti, and with Guardiola’s side always capable of crumbling, Wednesday night was far from a foregone conclusion.
Now, the Reds will head to Paris looking to exact revenge on Real for the bitter defeat in Kyiv four years previous – a night where, for Mo Salah and Loris Karius in particular, the playing field was unfairly potholed.
If Liverpool want No. 7, it won’t be their English rivals they will have to get through.
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