Liverpool sealed a berth in the Europa League semi-final after Jurgen Klopp's side eliminated his former club Borussia Dortmund from the competition following the Reds' 4-3 victory at Anfield on Thursday.
The first leg in Germany ended in a 1-1 draw. In the second leg, Dortmund were given an early double lead by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. However, Divock Origi score after the break, but the Bundesliga outfit maintained their lead after Marco Reus scored in the 57th minute.
Philippe Coutinho and Mamadou Sakho's 66th and 77th minute goal saw the score level, with advantage still with Dortmund due to away goal rules. However, it was Dejan Lovren's stoppage time goal that saw Liverpool beat Dortmund 5-4 on aggregate to make it to the last four of the Europe's second tier club competition.
Klopp admitted that he remained confident his side can bounce back, despite conceding two early goals. The German coach revealed his thoughts in detail after Liverpool made it to the semi-final of the Europa League.
"I saw the game, I saw all the different moments in the game and I thought from the first minute we were in the game. The problem is that after four minutes, we lost the ball in a not so good moment. The counter-attack of Dortmund is in some moments not to defend anymore, to be honest, and that's what we saw after four minutes, [and] after nine minutes," Klopp explained.
"Very often in football life, a game is over [at 2-0] – but not here, not with this Liverpool team and that's great to be part of. In the first half of the game, we created a lot of chances, we didn't score and then it was really, really difficult to stay in the game because we are all human beings – we tried everything but nothing really worked.
"At half-time, there was a good atmosphere to be honest because I was satisfied with the game – not with the goals, but with the game in general. I told the lads, I was not there but a few Liverpool players who are a little bit older and work now as experts for television, they were 3-0 down at half-time but won a Champions League final. So even when it's not really likely, it is for sure possible and we should try it.
"They did it and made it 2-1. I think even before 2-1, we had a chance and two or three really good moments but didn't score. Then we scored and then everyone could see something happen in the stadium. You could feel it, you could hear, you could smell it... But then there was a brilliant, brilliant attack situation [from Dortmund]. It was not too good defending from our side, to be honest, but it was brilliant play from Dortmund and 3-1.
"Then that was the moment in football – and in life – when you have to show character. That's what the lads did and it was pretty cool to watch. In the end, to come back in a game like this against this highest quality opponent and to win, you need a little bit of luck, but I think everybody who was part of the game, who saw the game, has to say at the end it was deserved.
"We had more bad moments in the game, we had to react more often in difficult, difficult things in the game, but then to score the fourth goal it was strange. It was a long time before I was sure the ball was in – but obviously it was until somebody tells me something else!"
