Tottenham Hotspur's comeback win over Ajax on Wednesday was incredible, but it was no "Miracle of Anfield" from the day before.
That was the consensus of fans The Straits Times spoke to, who pointed to Liverpool's 4-0 thumping of Lionel Messi-led Barcelona as being more impressive than Spurs' 3-2 win in Amsterdam.
Both English sides had trailed 3-0 in their respective ties, but overturned the deficit to book their spot in the June 1 final at the Wanda Metropolitano Arena in Madrid.
Elliott Danker, senior presenter on Money FM 89.3, said: "Even as a Manchester United fan, I have to give it to Liverpool.
"When you consider they're also fighting for the Premier League and that race has gone down to the wire, and with the thought they might end the season empty-handed at the back of their minds - to overcome that is so impressive.
"The moment I went into office the next day and saw a few of my colleagues who are Liverpool fans, I had to tell them: Respect."
Arsenal fan and Singapore Management University undergraduate Victoria Lim, 23, added: "We got to see the power of Liverpool playing at Anfield.
Other great recoveries
2016-17 LAST 16
Paris Saint-Germain, up 4-0 from the home leg, collapsed at the Nou Camp. Barcelona won 6-1 to advance 6-5 on aggregate, only to be eliminated by Italy's Juventus.
2005 FINAL
Liverpool, 3-0 down at half-time against AC Milan, scored thrice in the second half. The English side went on to win the shoot-out 3-2 after Jerzy Dudek saved the final penalty from Andriy Shevchenko.
2003-04 QUARTER-FINAL
Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna lost the first leg 4-1 to defending champions AC Milan but won 4-0 at home to qualify for the semi-finals, where they were stopped by eventual champions, Jose Mourinho's Porto.
"They played with so much passion, grit and belief. It was a great match and comeback, regardless of which club you support.
"When they sang (club anthem You'll Never Walk Alone) after the match, I got goosebumps."
A Twitter poll conducted by STsportsdesk saw almost three quarters of the over 600 respondents pick Liverpool's result as the more impressive of the two ties.
United fan Vighnesh Vasanthanathan, 25, said the quality of opposition was what made the Reds' triumph more remarkable.
"At the end of the day, Ajax are a team still growing in maturity," said the Republic Polytechnic student. "They had youth everywhere on the pitch and, when it mattered most, Spurs had the experienced players to give them the edge."
The final will be the first between two English teams since 2008, when United beat Chelsea on penalties, and Newcastle United fan Irfan Rahman, 32, believes it reflects the current strength of the league.
"To me, it shows the Premier League is the best in the world," said the assistant executive. "When you consider Liverpool and Spurs have both not won the Premier League title but are now in the Champions League final, it shows just how competitive the league is."
Whether the EPL is the best in the world is debatable, said Danker, 37, but it is "the most entertaining and most talked-about".
He added: "An all-English Champions League final, and Liverpool making their second in a row, will make (that reputation) better.
"Plus, last year England reached their first World Cup semi-final since 1990. Maybe fans can now expect Ballon d'Or winners and other world-class players moving to the Premier League soon."
- Additional reporting by Xener Gill
Premier League: Chelsea can cope with transfer ban, says coach Maurizio Sarri Description: Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea, who host London rivals West Ham on Monday, are fifth in the table, level on 63 points with fourth-placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand.
Chelsea can cope with transfer ban, says Sarri | Sport24
Undisputed 6/7/2019 Live HD - First Things First LIVE | Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe on FS1 The SPLASH BROTHERS! 5,137 watching Live now
Uncompromising teaser: Kevin Harvick, Kyrie Irving, Tim
Barcelona are closing in on their eighth LaLiga title in 11 years after Clement Lenglet and Jordi Alba both scored in a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday. The victory means Barca only have to
Barça stroll to comfortable victory with title on the brink
New-look Germany make promising start with Serbia draw ahead of Euro qualifiers clash against Dutch Description: Germans kept their foot firmly on the gas and wasted several chances in the second half before substitute Leon Goretzka grabbed a deserved equaliser in the 69th minute.
New-look Germany make promising start with Serbia draw
Jan 16, 2019 · A win and the collection of three points always has a neat symbolic value, but it was the performance that achieved this that said so much more about Solskjaer, and has boosted his chances of
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appointed Man Utd boss, but is it the
Mar 22, 2019 · England got their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign off to the ideal start, with Raheem Sterling hitting a hat-trick in the 5-0 thrashing of the Czech Republic at Wembley
England vs Czech Republic: Raheem Sterling scores hat-trick
May 06, 2019 · Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend's action Manchester United's slump means they have to support City in the FA Cup final, Ramsey's tears show passion Arsenal are missing and
Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend's action
How long does it take to travel from London to Derby by train? The average journey time between London and Derby is 2 hours 2 minutes. The fastest journey time is 1 hour 23 minutes. On an average weekday, there are 34 trains per day travelling from London to Derby. The journey time may be longer on weekends and holidays.
Trains Derby to London St Pancras International - Train
Qatar head coach Felix Sanchez has stressed he will adopt a 'one game at a time' approach as he announced the final 23-member squad for the. Qatar to take one match at a time, says coach
Qatar can win Asian Cup, says Sanchez - sportskeeda.com
Chris Wood scored twice as Burnley virtually assured Premier League safety with a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Cardiff City on Saturday which left the Welsh club deep in relegation trouble and their manager Neil Warnock fuming.
Burnley vs. Cardiff City - Football Match Report - April 13
global.espn.com/football/report?gameId=513502
Chris Wood scored twice as Burnley all but secured Premier League safety with a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Cardiff, leaving the Welsh club deep in relegation trouble and their manager Neil Warnock fuming. Cardiff, occupying the final relegation slot in 18th place, are on 28 points, five behind 17th-placed Brighton with five games remaining.
Kane insists club rivalries will not split England camp. City and Liverpool are vying for the title, while Spurs face competition from Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea for a top-four finish.
Kane insists club rivalries will not split England camp | Sport24
Backline conundrum for Arsenal's Emery in Wolves' lair
Pochettino loses his cool as Spurs slump, Huddersfield closer to relegation Mauricio Pochettino launched a furious rant at referee Mike Dean after Tottenham's Premier League title challenge
Football: Pochettino loses his cool as Spurs slump
0 comments:
Post a Comment