The collective push to put Liverpool 90 minutes away from Champions League glory has been littered with unforgettable individual moments.
From the very first goal of the run – Trent Alexander-Arnold fulfilling a boyhood dream with a perfect free-kick in the play-off at Hoffenheim – Jürgen Klopp’s side have been adding to the rich tapestry of the Reds’ European history this season.
Tonight, those players have the opportunity to live out the greatest moment imaginable when they take on holders Real Madrid in Kiev. Can they claim the trophy for a sixth time?
Before they attempt to achieve legendary status, we asked five of the protagonists during the journey to describe one of the key incidents they were involved in en route to the final…
Virgil van Dijk
“In the home game against Manchester City, the fans gave us an extra boost going into the stadium. I prepared like I normally prepare, and relaxed a little bit. Going onto the pitch for the warm-up, I enjoyed that as well with the fans already shouting.
“The game started; we scored the first, the second, the third – it was incredible. It was such a relief but also an amazing feeling. I was more tired from running to the guys that scored than from the game! It was fantastic and the fans kept us going. It was tough and the second half was hard, but big credit to the guys and the fans and the people around us who kept us going.
“That night was very, very important in our run. Afterwards, everyone was happy but the job wasn’t finished. Because of the atmosphere – the noise and the fans – I couldn’t sleep that night. I was still awake and full of adrenaline.”
Mohamed Salah
“Against City, when I passed the ball to Sadio [Mane], I expected he would go straight to the goal. When I saw the ball drop to me, I wanted to pass the goalkeeper. I saw Sadio on the other side but I knew [Nicolas] Otamendi would go to ground so that’s why I decided to chip it.
“I chipped the ball and immediately I saw it was going in. I turned my face and went to our fans. The emotions, with the players coming from everywhere, were unbelievable. My celebration was something natural. I scored and felt like I wanted to do it. I think it’s the first time in my life I didn’t smile [after a goal]. It was natural.”
Andy Robertson
“To play and beat Manchester City five years to the day that I got beat in the Third Division with Queen’s Park was obviously a special moment. It didn’t get off to the start we wanted, falling behind, and the nerves ramped up a bit. I’m sure everyone back in Liverpool was feeling the same.
“To then see Mo put in the goal – and know that was really the goal to get us into the semi-final – was an incredible feeling. After the game it was a special moment between the fans and the players, we celebrated getting into the semi-final together. It’ll be something that lives long in the memory for all the lads.
“I follow my ex-teammates at Queen’s Park at the time and a few of them were tweeting about the game. We got beat 2-0. To see that and the journey I’ve come on, five years later I’m playing on the biggest stage against Manchester City and going into the semi-finals, was a nice feeling to reflect on.”
WHAT A NIGHT!! #YNWA 🔴 A post shared by Andrew Robertson (@andyrobertson94) on Apr 10, 2018 at 3:11pm PDT
Georginio Wijnaldum
“When I scored that goal against Roma I was so happy – I’d finally scored an away goal! The importance of that goal made me really happy. I was also happy to celebrate it with [Andreas] Kornmayer because we work really hard together in the gym to make me a better player, stronger and with more stability in my body.
“Every time he said, ‘you’re going to score’, I didn’t score. He didn’t say it for a few games and against Roma he said it again. He said, ‘believe me, you will score’. So I was happy because it was important but also because Korny said it.
“It was a corner kick from the left side, Millie took it. The ball came out and went in the air, Virgil jumped against [Edin] Dzeko and he couldn’t clear it properly. He headed it back to me, I was in front of the goalkeeper, I had a clear header and the ball went in.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold
“At full-time in Rome, we’d just got to the Champions League final. Me and Ben [Woodburn] wanted to go and celebrate with the thousands of fans that made the journey over. We were feeling just like they did and wanted to celebrate as much as possible. We got a little bit carried away!
“It was their victory as much as ours; they’re the 12th man, we needed them and they were there in huge numbers. We wanted to celebrate and say thank you to them for the support they have given us through this incredible journey.
“I’ve watched videos of us being filmed from the crowd. It’s unbelievable. I got a bit of stick for my claps being out of sync – but I wasn’t really focused on that, I was focused on enjoying it. Looking back, it was unbelievable. Hopefully on Saturday there’ll be much more of that.”
Liverpool fans painted Kiev red ahead of kick-off in the Champions League final.
Gathering at the designated spot for supporters at Shevchenko Park and its surrounds, the travelling Kopites covered the area with banners and built up the atmosphere in the sunshine ahead of the big game against Real Madrid.
Take a look in our photo gallery below.
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They have downed Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern Munich on their way to Kiev.
They lock horns regularly with European heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga.
And they have taken on and beaten the rest the world has to offer in the Club World Cup.
But nothing Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid side has encountered this season will have prepared them for what awaits against Liverpool at the NSC Olimpiyskiy on Saturday evening.
So believes a man who had first-hand experience of what it takes to be a success at both the Bernabeu and Anfield.
“Everybody I've spoken to at Real believes it is a brilliant clash of styles,” Michael Owen told the ECHO.
“Real Madrid will fancy themselves against anybody having won the Champions League for the last two years.
“But while they have the experience, I don't think they'll have come up against anything like Liverpool in terms of style of play.
“I can see goals, and to be honest the game could go either way. I wouldn't be confident predicting it, but I'm pretty sure it won't go to penalties.
“You will see in the first 15-20 minutes who has the upper hand in terms of clash of style.”
(Image: LFC Foundation/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Owen adds: “In recent seasons, Liverpool have made a habit of beating the big boys, especially at Anfield.
“For years now, I've seen them at Anfield and they been 3-0 up in the blink of an eye – think of Arsenal this season and Roma. All the best teams can do that.
“I was talking on BT at the start of this Champions League campaign and said Real Madrid would win it this year, but the longer it has gone on people have been saying to me 'Liverpool are dark horses, Liverpool are dark horses'.
“That because everyone can see their style suits playing against good teams, teams who think they play their own way. Liverpool love playing against those teams.”
Liverpool's thrilling route to the final has won them a host of new admirers, with the Reds having racked up a record-breaking 46 goals.
And Owen, who will be at the final working as a pundit for BT Sport, knows how such an approach has been embraced by the Reds support.
“I have loads of mates who go every week and they say as much as they want Liverpool to win the Champions League – and it will be an amazing achievement – to be a Liverpool fan at the minute is fantastic, all the anticipation of going to watch them and then invariably the team deliver,” he says.
“They are brilliant to watch, they score goals, and we all want them to win the Champions League.
“But regardless, we are in a real golden era of great football at Liverpool. The excitement levels are so high right now.
“I know we've been frustrated at times watching Liverpool when they don't close out games from winning positions, but you want a team you can cheer on that are attack-minded.
“Going to watch a team who looks to scrape out a 1-0 win every week is not fun, I don't care if you win the odd trophy along the way.
“It's far better being involved in a team like Liverpool that you know have the capability of beating anybody. And that style of play is down to the manager and the players.”
Owen's enthusiasm for the attacking approach under Jurgen Klopp is allied to an admiration for how the Reds boss has helped improve their defence.
“The difference under the current manager is that he's probably got the balance at the back sorted, and a lot of that is down to the amazing signing of Van Dijk,” he says.
“The change has come in terms of personnel, more so than the style of play.
“Two other positions people were crying out for change were goalkeeper and left-back, and they have both changed and the defence all of a sudden looks much better.
“We're not just about attacking now. There's Keita to come in the summer too, so it's bubbling nicely.”
As to where Owen's allegiances lie in Kiev, there's no question.
“Who will I be supporting? Liverpool, without doubt,” he says.
“It's the perfect final for me, of course. I had a great time at Real Madrid but I spent half my life at Liverpool so I shall be cheering them on.”
