The Reds’ poor run of games isn’t unusual for them as the Champions League final approaches…
With Chelsea drawing at Stamford Bridge against relegation-threatened Huddersfield, the nerves of many Liverpool fans are somewhat settled now because they’re within touching distance of securing Champions League football next season. Many Liverpool fans were left unhappy with their side’s recent form, especially after their loss against Chelsea – where they only needed a draw to knock their London rivals out of the Champions League race, and still ended up losing 1-0. This defeat could largely be attributed to fatigue as Liverpool have played four games in the space of 12 days, with Klopp struggling to rotate due to limited resources.
The Kopites’ league form has dipped overall as they’ve managed to win just one game out of their last five, two of which were against bottom sides West Brom and Stoke City. Prior to Chelsea’s game, Liverpool were expected to need maximum points in their final league game against Brighton & Hove Albion, but their requirement has now been reduced to just one point.
Champions League qualification will once again go down to the wire, and The Reds have plenty of reasons to be discontent. Fans believe that the squad players, lack of strength-in-depth, and dwindling ambition from FSG are all to blame for the team’s current situation. Club faithful were expecting the club to have the freedom to prepare for their European final, but they’re forced to grind out another result.
However, this is not the first time Liverpool are struggling in the league prior to a Champions League final. The Reds have been to eight Champions League finals in their illustrious history – so let’s see how they fared domestically in the build-up to the each of those nights.
1976-77
Liverpool won the Championship comfortably, but managed to get only two points from their last six games and suffered defeat in their last five games in all competitions. This included a loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup final just four days before they ended this miserable run – being crowned European champions in Rome for the first time by defeating Borussia Mönchengladbach.
1977-78
Nottingham Forest were almost crowned league champions, but after losing to Borussia Mönchengladbach in first leg of their semi-final, Liverpool headed to the European Cup final with an 11 game unbeaten run in all competitions. The most notable of these results was a 3-0 hammering of the German side in the return leg of the semi-final. The Reds won the final 1-0 against Club Brugge at Wembley Stadium.
1980-81
After a torrid season in the top-flight, Liverpool finished in fifth place – having only managed six points from their last eight league games. They scored only five times during this period, settling for a goalless draw at Anfield against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their semi-final. The goal drought was ended by Ray Kennedy’s late away goal in the second leg of the tie, which sealed a berth in the final. Liverpool eventually saw off Real Madrid 1-0 to be crowned champions.
1983-84
Liverpool’s greatest ever season ended with just two wins in eight league games after the first leg of their European Cup semi-final against Dinamo Bucharest. During that season, The Reds lost had lost only once; with a 2-0 defeat to Stoke City blighting an otherwise spotless record. Despite all this, their lead was so narrow that they won the league title with only one game to spare. In the final, Liverpool defeated Roma 4-2 on penalties after the game had ended 1-1, clinching their fourth title in the process.
1984-85
Liverpool were trailing Everton by a significant margin in Division One, but finished the season in second after securing five wins in their last eight league games. Liverpool lost their first European final, having been bested 1-0 by Juventus in Brussels.
2004-05
Rafa’s side were in a fierce battle with rivals Everton for fourth place and a run of eight points from their last seven games saw them finish fifth. This meant that they had to beat AC Milan in the final to play Champions League football next season. What followed was one of the most remarkable comebacks in footballing history as The Reds fought back from 3-0 down to restore parity and ultimately won 3-2 on penalties.
2006-07
Last time Liverpool played the Champions League final was 11 years ago. With a Top 4 finish almost guaranteed, Benitez and co. only managed to win three of their final eight games in all competitions before the final. They met AC Milan again, but were outplayed by their Italian counterparts on this occasion.
House Liverpool are coming for the Champions League kings 👑 pic.twitter.com/S7FACzG4gE
— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 2, 2018
After the reaching the the final of this season’s Champions League, Liverpool’s captain Jordan Henderson said: “We are Liverpool and we never do it the easy way,” as Klopp’s side managed to squeeze through 7-6 on aggregate against Roma. So while the fans may be a little nervous, most of them are accustomed to these moments of madness.