Liverpool stage huge rally to eliminate Dortmund from Europa League
LIVERPOOL, England -- What the Europa League lacks in glamor it more than made up for in late drama on Thursday. Sevilla's pursuit of a hat trick of titles was kept alive with a shootout success and Liverpool reached the semifinals through a stoppage-time winner.
Shakhtar Donetsk and Villarreal joined Liverpool in scoring four goals in their quarterfinal second-leg wins, but the English Premier League club needed every one of them to complete an exhilarating 4-3 comeback against Borussia Dortmund.
"I can't explain," Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel said. "It was not logical."
Liverpool was facing elimination on away goals until Dejan Lovren's header earned a 5-4 aggregate win on an epic Anfield night to give manager Juergen Klopp a victory to savor against his former club.
"We never stopped believing in ourselves," Lovren said. "We said at halftime we had nothing to lose, we just had to believe. It was a great effort from everyone."
Not only can Klopp's first season in charge of Liverpool still end in silverware, but lifting the cup would secure Champions League qualification. Sevilla is also relying on winning the Europa League to return to the continent's elite competition, unlike Shakhtar Donetsk and Villarreal, who are better placed to qualify through their domestic league positions.
Shakhtar Donetsk reached a European semifinal for only the second time by crushing Sporting Braga 4-0 to advance 6-1 on aggregate. Villarreal will be in Friday's draw after winning at Sparta Prague 4-2 to go through 6-3 on aggregate.
The tables were turned on Sevilla after winning 2-1 at Athletic Bilbao last week, with its Spanish rival winning the return leg 2-1 to force the game into extra time and a shootout. Sevilla scored all five penalties to win 5-4.
Liverpool had the edge going into the second leg after drawing 1-1 in Germany, but threw that advantage away in the opening nine minutes as the hosts were ripped apart and the talents of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang proved too hot to handle.
In the fifth minute, Philippe Coutinho conceded possession deep inside opposition territory and the visitors launched a rapid counterattack. Aubameyang's shot was parried by goalkeeper Simon Mignolet but Mkhitaryan followed with the opener.
Four minutes later, again the ball was given away, this time by Divock Origi, who was preferred up front in favor of Daniel Sturridge. Liverpool's sloppiness was countered by Dortmund's precision, with Marco Reus sending a crossfield pass to Aubameyang, who sent the ball high into the net.
It seemed game over. Liverpool had other ideas.
"At halftime, the coach said we had to create the moment where we could tell our grandchildren, our children about, make a special night for the fans," Origi said. "We believed."
The fightback began 150 seconds into the second half. Emre Can slipped the ball through for Origi to slot into the bottom corner of the net.
Dortmund restored its two-goal advantage when Mat Hummels' defense-splitting pass reached Reus, who finished coolly.
Liverpool wasn't giving up hopes of progressing, with Philippe Coutinho netting in the 66th after being played in by James Milner. Coutinho turned creator 11 minutes later in an engrossing second half, whipping in the corner that Sakho headed in. And a minute into stoppage time, another Liverpool defender -- Lovren -- found the target again with his head.
"That's what European football can be at its best," Klopp said. "It was a wonderful experience and it's hard to believe it really happened."
A night that ended with Liverpool fans delirious started on a somber note at Anfield. A mosaic was held up in the Kop to read "96" and a minute's silence was held to mark the eve of the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough stadium disaster when 96 Liverpool supporters were killed at an FA Cup semifinal.
Friday's memorial inside the ground comes as a jury at fresh inquests into the deaths is still considering the verdicts.
