The greatest team in Europe stopped, but a 20-year-old from West Derby in Merseyside was still thinking. Trent Alexander-Arnold sold Barcelona the dummy that resonated across the globe, and sent Liverpool to another Champions League final.
What a brain, what audacity. Divock Origi, who has scored some of the most important goals in the history of this club, while being its fifth choice striker, got the winner but Alexander-Arnold was the evil genius behind.
He walked over to the ball by the corner flag, seemed to change his mind about taking, and stepped away. Barcelona, at that moment, relaxed, regrouped, some even turned their backs. Alexander-Arnold switched direction with a greyhound’s speed and whipped it on. Origi met it first time and Barcelona’s stood baffled. That old one? How could they be so foolish? How could they be so…out?
Divock Origi (right) celebrates with Xherdan Shaqiri and Dejan Lovren after scoring Liverpool's fourth goal of the night
The Belgian striker quickly reacted to a brilliant corner from Trent-Alexander Arnold to complete a spectacular comeback
Origi runs over to celebrates with Arnold after scoring the fourth goal to put Liverpool in the lead on aggregate
Origi is swarmed by his Liverpool team-mates after scoring the fourth goal to send Anfield into a frenzy on Tuesday
Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates scoring Liverpool's third goal to bring them level with Barcelona on aggregate
The second-half substitute rose highest to head in his second goal just minutes after scoring his first for the hosts
The Dutchman hangs in the air as he watches the ball fly into Marc-Andre ter Stegen's net during the second half
Wijnaldum runs to celebrate in front of the Kop after bringing the aggregate score back to 3-3 during the second half
The 28-year-old latched on to a cross to put his shot low and hard past Barcelona's German goalkeeper
Ter Stegen is unable to keep the ball out as Wijnaldum scores Liverpool's second goal to send fans into a frenzy
Liverpool's No 5 celebrates by picking up the ball and running back to the halfway line to get play restarted
LIVERPOOL: (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson (Wijnaldum 46); Fabinho, Milner, Henderson; Mane, Shaqiri (Sturridge 90), Origi
SUBS NOT USED: Mignolet (GK); Lovren, Gomez, Brewster, Woodburn
GOALS: Origi (7, 79), Wijnaldum (54, 56)
BOOKINGS: Fabinho (11), Matip (66)
COACH: Jurgen Klopp
BARCELONA: (4-3-3) Ter Stegen; Roberto, Pique, Lenglet, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Vidal (Arthur 75); Coutinho (Semedo 60), Suarez, Messi
SUBS NOT USED: Cillessen (GK); Malcom, Umtiti, Vermaelen, Alena
GOALS: None
BOOKINGS: Busquets (45+1), Rakitic (53), Semedo (76)
COACH: Ernesto Valverde
REFEREE: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey)
MAN OF THE MATCH: Georginio Wijnaldum
VENUE: Anfield
ATTENDANCE: TBA
For more of Sportsmail's fantastic MATCH ZONE feature, please click here.
Divock Origi (No 27) got Liverpool off to a flying start with a tap-in to spark huge hopes of a comeback early on
Georginio Wijnaldum (No 5) headed in Liverpool's third to make it all square on aggregate minutes after scoring the hosts' second
Yet out they are. Magnficently out. Stupendously out. Liverpool did not even need extra time. They overturned a three-goal deficit, won 4-0 and deserved it. This was a magnificent performance, greater even than that night in Istanbul when, for the record, the score ended 3-3 and there were long periods when Liverpool were poor.
They were wonderful here. Shorn of two of their greatest players, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino, and then Andrew Robertson for the second half. But that changed the game, ironically, for the better – because in brought in another of the night’s matchwinners: Georginio Wijnaldum.
To call him a super sub really doesn’t do it justice. Super subs are strikers, chucked on as a last resort. Wijnaldum had a meatier role, shoring up midfield, so James Milner could go to full-back. But Wijnaldum wanted more. So he turned this semi-final on its head, instead.
It was Wijnaldum’s second-half goals that got Liverpool level and shook Lionel Messi and Barcelona to their foundations. When Liverpool scored early there was hope – but few could have imagined this, two goals in three minutes to level the aggregate score at 3-3, and give Liverpool the momentum for a momentous victory.
Divock Origi (left) gets Liverpool off to a flying start after scoring a tap-in just seven minutes after kick off
The Belgian striker, who was filling in for the injured Mohamed Salah, tapped in a saved Jordan Henderson shot
Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen appeals for an offside as Henderson and Origi collect the ball to restart the game
Henderson and Origi barely celebrate as they sprint back to the halfway line to restart the game after getting the perfect start
The Liverpool skipper screams in delight after Origi scored the opening goal in the first half on Tuesday evening
Wijnaldum has a knack for it at this stage in the competition. He has only scored one other Champions League goal and that was in the semi-final against Roma last year. That was another
: Reds complete amazing comeback to reach ...){kind=link}