A wry smile crept across James Milner's face.

In the bowels of the Allianz Arena, the Liverpool vice-captain was reminded about Pep Guardiola's pre-match declaration that he wanted Bayern Munich to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the Reds' expense.

“Ah, yes,” he said. “That’s unlucky for him, isn’t it?”

Milner is on a mission to ensure it's not the last time Guardiola doesn't get what he wants this season.

As well as being locked in a Premier League title race with Manchester City, Liverpool and Milner's former club are also both chasing European glory.

For the 33-year-old midfielder, the agonising near misses of recent years, including the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev last May, are a source of added motivation as the pursuit of silverware hots up.

“I have been to three finals since I have been here, lost them all and I am desperate to put that right,” Milner said.

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“It’s a memory you will never forget. You are proud to have played in the European Cup final but you don’t go there to lose. You still think about it now.

“We probably took more positives from last year than negatives, but it’s a bitter pill to swallow when you lose the final of the Champions League and the way we went down.

“Listen, I have loved every minute of my time at Liverpool but to have not won something when we have given ourselves opportunities is difficult to take at this moment. It is something I am desperate to put right.

“You know, it’s been so long since we won a league title. Even in recent years, Liverpool haven’t won as many trophies as they should do for such a big club.

“Even for us now, we are a young team, we are improving but the chances we have given ourselves? We have to put that right. We have to get over the line in one of them.”

Milner believes the chances of making that happen have been considerably enhanced by their commanding performance in the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night.

After a scrappy opening 45 minutes, Liverpool bossed proceedings in the second half and outclassed the Bundesliga champions in their own backyard. Sadio Mane struck either side of Virgil van Dijk's towering header from Milner's corner.

Klopp believes Liverpool have taken a big step with victory over Bayern Munich

“We have played better games but it is a different sort of performance that you need here to beat a top team like them,” Milner added.

“You could see some of the experience that we have gained over the last few years come through. Losing Hendo (Jordan Henderson) early wasn’t easy but the way we adapted to that and the performance we put in, I don’t think they had many chances and the boys up top have been unbelievable.

“Sadio’s first goal was very naughty! The way he took it was ridiculous, but that’s the quality he’s got.

“What we have got better at is probably when they scored the goal, there was no panic, we just went about our business again and were very calm. That's probably the maturity and experience we have gained over the last few years as a team.

“There is always room for improvement. We restricted them but there were a couple of times we were sloppy on the ball, when we played a bit quick and we could have controlled it a bit more. All in all, though, I would be nitpicking.

“I think we know how good we can be. We were disappointed not to score in the first leg but we knew 0-0 was a good result. It was important for them not to score.

“Once we got a goal out here, it was always going to be very difficult for them. It helps the way that we defend and the boys at the back do such a great job.

“Going forward, I wouldn’t have wanted to be them (Bayern) having to face that and having the worry of conceding a goal and knowing you need two with the players we have got going forward.”

Fans react to Liverpool's Champions League victory over Bayern Munich

It was a statement win against a Bayern side who hadn't failed to reach the quarter-finals of the competition since 2011.

Rather than hamper the Reds' title challenge, Milner insists another extended European run would bolster their chances domestically with the momentum it would generate.

“We are in two competitions and we can manage that game-wise,” he said.

“There are positives to being in this competition. We want to win it, for starters. Then there is the good feeling you get from winning in the style that we did, the confidence going into the weekend.

“We got a good feeling from getting out of the group and we have got a good feeling after knocking out Bayern Munich. You can only take positives.

“I’d like to think teams in this competition have that respect for us as we got to the Champions League final last year and the Europa League final in 2016.

“That's two European finals since I have been at the club. We are challenging for the Premier League too.

“Whether teams take notice is not really for us to worry about. But they take notice after they have played us and we have put them out.”

Liverpool joined domestic rivals City, Manchester United and Tottenham in the draw. It's the first time in a decade that four English clubs have made it through to the quarter-finals.

Milner is hoping to avoid an all Premier League clash in the last eight.

(Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

"Every team left in the competition is a good side," he said.

"We know that. People will look at Porto and Ajax but they are young teams and they are flying. They deserve to be there and we all know they will be tough.

"To have four teams in the last eight is great for England. I don’t particularly want to play any of the others to be honest.

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"It is always a weird feeling playing an English team in Europe. You get used to getting on a plane and instead you end up getting on a bus and going across the M62.

"Whoever we get will be tough. But we have shown over the last few years what we can do and hopefully we can keep putting in performances like this and kick on."