It was like an explosion. And all of it seemed to happen in slow motion. As Dejan Lovren rose above everyone else in the 91st minute, Anfield rose in anxiety and in unmatchable expectation. It was amazing how the momentum had shifted from one side to the other and with a goal more needed to complete a historic comeback, there was a feeling that this could be something special. Jurgen Klopp hugged every player as if an uncle was doing so to a prodigal son and Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren celebrated like brothers from different mothers.

And Anfield went mental. So did the Liverpool players. There stood Jurgen Klopp, the mastermind of everything that had transpired, arms folded in respect for the side they had just overcome but with a cheerful glint of happiness on his face.

Up there in the stands, sat the great Kenny Dalglish. The legendary Liverpool icon had tears in his eyes. Tears suggestive of how proud he was of this club. Suggestive of why this comeback was something truly special. It was as if each bit of tension, anxiety, expectation and above all, hope was unwinding and emanating from the tears that were being shed. As he murmured the famous lyrics of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ with the euphoric Anfield faithful, the passion for this great club, which had amassed something truly remarkable, was clearly conspicuous.

As BVB’s messiah’s took a passion-filled, yet subsided victory lap, Dortmund fans would’ve been left in a dilemma. The man who had made what their club are right now, had masterminded a special occasion to knock his former side out of the Europa League. They looked in awe and with hearts broken and shattered, stood there witnessing Klopp do what they used to enjoy and relish after every single game at WestfalenStadion once upon a time. No one had imagined this before it had actually happened, apart from the man who Dortmund are lucky to have laid their hands on and his group of men in red.

Upon going two-nil down, neutrals knew Dortmund had attained a nigh-perfect start to a much-hyped game. There was a feeling among the majority of fans that the game had been concluded in the first ten minutes itself, with Dortmund blowing Liverpool away before taking a 2-0 lead, thanks to goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre Aubameyang. But Jurgen Klopp, who was continuously strolling down the touchline, had a desirous wanting about turning this around. The bearded German was conceiving things that very few were imagining in their heads. As Liverpool fluffed 2 opportunities to bring the tie back to 2-1, the Liverpool fans seemed annoyed and frustrated at what they were witnessing on the pitch, but there stood Klopp, applauding them for their efforts and cheering them on. It was happening when few expected the Mainz born genius to react such as he did. And it was the desire to pull off what people deemed ‘impossible, that separated Klopp from what others thought.

It seemed it was all over when Mats Hummels slipped through a Paul Scholes-esque pass past Nate Cyne to set Marco Reus through on goal. The assist maker for the second goal made no mistake in restoring Dortmund’s two goal advantage. And that was when the heads of Liverpool fans crashed. Around 25 minutes to go, with 3 goals to score against a formidable Dortmund side seemed impossible on paper. But Jurgen Klopp knew football is never played on paper. Tic-tac-toe is.

The hope and the determination that existed, despite of going 3-1 down was unbelievable, making us wonder for as to where Liverpool managed to get all of it from.

“We wanted to show character, it wasn’t important if we lost, that can happen in football, but we must show character.”

It’s about believing in what others don’t believe in. It’s about proving to the world that they’re wrong and what you do is right and the most apt thing there is. Liverpool chased every single ball, loose or in possession with Die Borussen. Because they hoped. And they believed in themselves that it wasn’t impossible.

The above Klopp statement is another way of saying that -” Even if we go down, we’ll go down fighting.” And the game showed why giving up before it’s all over is a crime in football. Things can change in a flash. Provided you have the belief, passion and determination to prove people wrong and defy your critics.

The win-at-all costs attitude almost seemed to filter through to the players from Klopp, and to the disbelieving fans too. He believed that they could pull it off. Despite of going down, he had the faith in himself and his team that it wasn’t over until Cuneyt Cakir blew the last blast in he whistle. And so, the players played as if it were their last game. As if it was a matter of life and death. And they needed to escape death in order to live on.

“We don’t want to score one, but two, maybe more. We want to attack and to take risks” said Thomas Tuchel before the game, getting into the act of overcoming the Reds. But the risk that they took meant tired legs and an opportunity for the hosts to derail them. It was a case of survival of the fittest. And Liverpool proved to be the fitter out of the two.

The game proved why we ,as football fans, love the game. It’s not just a game that defines moments and gives us moments to cherish forever. But, it teaches us life lessons that we can draw inspiration from and adhere to one day. How not to give up hope and belief in dark times. Not following the crowd when they’re doing something unacceptable. Following your heart and what it says in unfavorable conditions is what makes you great and different from others. Liverpool proved what football is all about and defined everything what we tend to love about it.

What a night that was. A night that we will remember. A night that will inspire.

-A Manchester United Fan