Jurgen Klopp on the verge of ‘something special’ as Liverpool plot a sixth Champions League crown
It will be Klopp's third final with the Reds and he will be hoping it's third time lucky
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Your support makes all the difference.Steven Gerrard believes Jurgen Klopp is on the verge of ‘something special’ at Liverpool after his side made it through to their first Champions League final since 2007.
Liverpool overcame a dogged Roma at a fiery Stadio Olimpico last night despite suffering a 4-2 defeat on the night, with goals from Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum proving to be just enough to push Klopp’s side over the line, winning 7-6 on aggregate.
The full-time whistle led to jubilant celebrations and Gerrard, watching from the BT Sport studio, sensed in the euphoria that their date with Real Madrid in Kiev on 26th May could be the beginning of a new era under the German coach.
“I'm happy for them,” Gerrard said on BT Sport. “You see the emotion on James Milner's face there, he's been immense. You see the celebrations in the crowd and I know what it means. I know the following this club has got.
“These fans just want this club to compete and they want to be proud of their team.
“This manager has got them flying, if they go one step further this could be the start of something special under Klopp, he’s world class. I think they're on the verge of something really, really good.”
The clash with Madrid will be Klopp’s second European final with Liverpool, and the third final of his three-year tenure. He is, however, yet to lift any silverware with the Merseysiders, coming up short both in the EFL Cup final against Manchester City and then against Sevilla in the Europa League final in 2016.
But his exciting full-throttle football combined with his magnetic personality has endeared him to the Anfield faithful, and this season looks set to finally bare the fruits of his labour for the first time.
Despite the departure of Philippe Coutinho in January, Liverpool have gone from strength-to-strength, bolstered by the rear-guard solidity brought by Virgil van Dijk and the innumerable goals from the Pyramid Pele, Mohamed Salah.
And Gerrard, who himself played in two Champions League finals with the club - lifting the trophy in a memorable final in 2005 - was effusive in his praise of both the manager and his players for the joy they have brought to Liverpool supporters.
“It's an incredible achievement, congratulations to Jurgen Klopp and the players - they're the ones that have taken the fans on this journey. They deserve all the plaudits they'll get in the coming days.
“They've set themselves up for a mouth-watering final against Real Madrid and they should go in with confidence they can go all the way now. That man (Klopp) and the players deserve so much praise.”
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