MANCHESTER : Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says his side “came through the whirlwind” as they beat Manchester City at the Etihad to seal their place in the last four of the Champions League.
Leading 3-0 from the first leg, the Reds fell behind at the start of a first half dominated by the home side.
But the visitors battled back to win 2-1 and claim a 5-1 aggregate win.
“We scored five against Man City and only conceded one. These numbers are usually not possible,” said the German.
“The boys found a solution in the second half. We had two or three opportunities in the first half already, so it was easy for me and the boys to see the development of the game. We had come through the whirlwind.”
Gabriel Jesus’ early goal hinted at a Manchester City fightback, but it never materialised as they struggled to find that clinical edge in the final third.
Instead, Mohamed Salah’s 39th goal in a sensational season put Liverpool in control before Roberto Firmino’s composed finish secured Liverpool’s first Champions League semi-final appearance in a decade.
Liverpool last reached the final in the 2007-08 season and their hopes of going all the way in this year’s competition have perhaps been raised by the shock elimination of Barcelona.
The Spanish giants lost 3-0 in Italy on Tuesday night, with Salah’s former side Roma progressing on away goals following a 4-4 aggregate draw.
Klopp said of Barcelona’s exit: “I walked up the stairs and somebody told me. I thought it was a joke. “Not to disrespect Roma. They lost Salah and are in the semis. That’s something else.
“This competition is quite fair and I really think a normal final would have been Manchester City against Barcelona, and now they are both out. “But there will still be two other really strong teams in there plus Roma and us. We will see what happens but that’s not the thing I have to think about right now.”
