Liverpool’s Dramatic Comeback Ensures Spot in Europa Semi-Finals

A stoppage time header ensured a dramatic comeback for Liverpool, who beat Borussia Dortmund 4-3

Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho, left, and Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren celebrate after scoring the winning goal during the Europa League Quarter Final (Photo: AP) 

Dejan Lovren scored a heart-stopping stoppage-time header as Liverpool completed an astonishing comeback to beat Borussia Dortmund 4-3 and reach the Europa League semi-finals.

Held 1-1 in last week’s first leg at the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund scored twice in nine minutes through Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to take a firm grip on the tie.

After Divock Origi had given Liverpool a foothold, Marco Reus struck again for the visitors, but goals from Philippe Coutinho and Mamadou Sakho levelled the tie before Lovren headed home in the 91st minute to give former Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp the biggest win of his Anfield tenure.

His successor at Dortmund, Thomas Tuchel, could only look on in disbelief at the final whistle as the 5-4 aggregate scoreline condemned his side to defeat, four days on from a 2-2 draw with Schalke that left his men seven points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Kick-off was preceded by a rousing communal rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the two clubs’ anthem, and a solemnly observed minute’s silence to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

But any sense of sentimentality quickly vanished as Dortmund turned the tie on its head in the early stages.

An early Aubameyang effort that curled wide gave Klopp’s side a warning and when the ball next found its way into the hosts’ box, after a Liverpool attack broke down high on the left flank, there was no reprieve.

Gonzalo Castro’s flighted cross picked out Aubameyang and although his close-range volley was alertly parried by Simon Mignolet, Mkhitaryan tucked in the rebound.

Sakho had played both Dortmund attackers onside and he was also at fault for the second goal as Aubameyang ran in behind him to collect Reus’s delicately threaded pass and slam a shot into the top-right corner.