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This is a showdown that has the potential to join the pantheon of Anfield’s great European nights.

Liverpool v Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-final of the Europa League with the tie perfectly poised following last week’s 1-1 draw in Germany.

The sense of excitement and anticipation is almost tangible.

Any feeling of trepidation at taking on the free-scoring Bundesliga high-flyers, who are unbeaten in 18 games, subsided after the manner in which the Reds performed with such a swagger in the first leg.

Now it’s about finishing the job off as Jurgen Klopp plots the downfall of his former club and looks to keep Liverpool’s hopes of silverware alive.

These are the high-stakes occasions under the lights that Kopites crave more than any other and plans are in place to ensure that Dortmund feel the full force of Anfield.

The Liverpool team coach will be greeted by a sea of red when it travels along Anfield Road around 6.30pm on Thursday evening.

Hundreds of supporters will gather close to the King Harry pub to ensure that Klopp and his players get a thunderous reception. The flags and the banners will be out in force in scenes reminiscent of the title challenge two years ago.

Fans are also being urged to get inside the ground early to ensure the atmosphere builds right through to kick-off and beyond.

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Klopp can bank on Liverpool’s famous 12th man and the club’s proud European history is littered with examples of their supporters providing the inspiration for the Reds to deliver cherished successes.

It all started back in 1965 when Bill Shankly’s men faced European champions Inter Milan. There were 28,000 people on the Kop 90 minutes before kick-off and Shankly famously sent out injured duo Gerry Byrne and Gordon Milne to parade the newly won FA Cup and whip the crowd into a frenzy.

Inter froze and were blown away 3-1.

“We could have played Brazil that night and beaten them,” said Anfield Iron Tommy Smith.

“The Italians thought they had heard noise in the San Siro. I can tell you they had never experienced anything like the noise from the Anfield fans as the cup was carried round. When we heard the crowd I could understand how intimidating it was for the Italians. But it gave us a great lift.”

Then there was St Etienne in 1977. Liverpool, who trailed 1-0 from the first leg, were six minutes away from going out on away goals when substitute David Fairclough wrote his name into Anfield folklore.

Those who were there claim the ground shook.

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Bob Paisley’s men were en route to a first European Cup triumph in Rome.

“For me it was the greatest atmosphere I ever played in,” said full-back Joey Jones.“There was a sense of anticipation about the game and it hit home when we heard that there were thousands of fans gathering around the ground early in the morning, never mind late afternoon. It was a real pressure game and the supporters played their part.”

In the early 90s there was the Mark Walters inspired comeback against Auxerre as Liverpool overturned a two-goal first-leg deficit in Europe for the first time.

The following decade the scalps came thick and fast.

Barcelona in 2001 and Roma 12 months later on an emotional night when Liverpool marked Gerard Houllier’s return to the dugout by claiming the 2-0 win they needed over the Italian champions to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Then came the march to Istanbul in 2004/05 with that dramatic finish against Olympiakos followed by the stunning win over Juventus in the quarter-final first leg.

“The fantastic atmosphere at Anfield was like an electric shock for Liverpool’s players, who started the match at an astonishing tempo. They seemed unstoppable,” recalled Juventus boss Fabio Capello.

What followed in the semi-final second leg against Chelsea was on a different scale. Rafa Benitez’s side flew out of the traps as Luis Garcia put Liverpool in front with what Jose Mourinho coined “the ghost goal”.

Anfield was rocked to its foundations as the Reds held on to reach a first European Cup final for two decades.

Jamie Carragher said: “Chelsea have bought great players and have an excellent manager, but you can’t buy fans like ours. That atmosphere was better than anything I’ve known and I’ve been involved in some great nights.

“No disrespect to Chelsea, but their supporters aren’t like ours. There’s none better than our fans at Anfield on a European night.”

John Arne Riise added: “There was no way I could have run like that for 96 minutes if I hadn’t been feeding off the crowd.”

Mourinho and John Terry couldn’t hide their admiration for the Liverpool support.

“I felt the power of Anfield, it was magnificent,” Mourinho said.“I felt it didn’t interfere with my players but maybe it interfered with other people and maybe it interfered with the result. It was a goal from the moon or the Anfield Road stand, I don’t know where.”

Terry added: “I have never heard anything like it before and I don’t think I ever will again.

(Image: Action Images / Michael Regan)

“I walked out into that cauldron and heard that singing and saw that passion. The hairs on my arms were standing up. To see a spectacle like that is inspiring to anyone. I just kept looking around, trying to take it all in.

“In the seconds before the referee blew his whistle for the start of the match, the whole stadium let out this great long roar as if they were going to power Liverpool to victory.”

The 2007 semi-final against Chelsea - when Liverpool marched on to Athens via a penalty shootout - nearly reached those same decibel levels, while the following year brought another memorable win over domestic rivals as Arsenal were swept side in the quarters.

The 2008/09 campaign brought the stunning 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid but after that came Liverpool’s fall from grace on the European stage.

Klopp has arrested that decline. Now they're on the way back.

Thursday’s second leg with Dortmund is Liverpool’s biggest European clash since Benitez’s side faced Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of this competition six years ago.

However, this tie means so much more.

Back then, competing in the Europa League was seen as scant consolation for a club used to rubbing shoulders with Europe’s elite. This time the feeling is very different.

The prize on offer is much greater with the Europa League now offering a golden ticket into the Champions League.

There is also a belief that if they can beat Dortmund a first European trophy since 2005 would be within their grasp. This matters. The stage is set for a new chapter to be written under Anfield's lights.