Liverpool have moved a small step closer to reaching the Champions League final after finding out their potential pathway to this year’s European showpiece in Paris.
The Reds will meet Benfica in the quarter-finals later this month, travelling to Lisbon on Tuesday 5 April before hosting the Portuguese outfit on Wednesday 13 April. If Jurgen Klopp’s side progress, they will then meet the winners of Villarreal vs Bayern Munich in the semi-finals for a place in the final.
Of course, Liverpool aren’t the only British side looking to end the season with European glory. They could end up contesting an all-English Champions League final, having been drawn on the opposite side of the draw to Man City and Chelsea, with the reigning English and European champions having to overcome Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid respectively if they are to reach the semi-finals.
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Meanwhile, West Ham United and Rangers are in Europa League quarter-final action, where they will meet Lyon and Braga respectively, while Leicester City will face PSV Eindhoven in the last eight of the inaugural Europa Conference League.
And the Hammers’ European progress could be a good sign for the Reds’ own Champions League hopes. After all, be it a new pope, Prince Charles getting married, Ken Barlow getting married on Coronation Street or Wales winning the 6Nations grand slam, the superstitious supporters amongst are always on the lookout for possible positive omens that point to continental glory.
By knocking out Sevilla this week, West Ham are competing in their first European quarter-final since 1981, where they lost to Dinamo Tbilisi in the last eight of the European Cup Winners’ Cup. But while the Hammers’ continental exploits ended at such a stage, it was a different story for Liverpool that season.
Having beaten Bayern Munich in the European Cup semi-finals, Alan Kennedy’s late strike ensured the Reds would finish the season as European champions by beating Real Madrid 1-0 in the final in Paris.
Well with this year’s final taking place in Paris, the latest Champions League draws have ensured history could repeat itself, with Bayern again a potential semi-final opponent for Liverpool, while Real Madrid could lie in wait in the final.
Meanwhile, the European Cup wasn’t the only trophy Bob Paisley’s side won in 1980/81 - They’d also win the League Cup after beating West Ham in the final.
41 years on and Jurgen Klopp’s side have lifted the League Cup again this year, beating a London side in the final. However, with Liverpool in pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple, they’ll be hoping their end of season haul goes beyond just one or two trophies.
