Liverpool were like starved wolves against Barcelona – Klopp

Liverpool, May 31: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp likened his players to starved wolves in their remarkable Champions League semi-final turnaround against Barcelona as they prepare to face Tottenham.

The Reds tussle with Spurs at Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday in a bid to be crowned European champions for the sixth time.

That they are even in the final is an achievement in itself, as Liverpool went into the second leg of their clash with Barca 3-0 down from the first meeting in Camp Nou, seemingly staring at an end to their adventure.

But a stunning performance at Anfield on May 7 saw Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum score two apiece in a 4-0 win, with the crucial goal coming 11 minutes from time and securing progress to the final.

Klopp puts that comeback partly down to the performances of "madmen".

ONE. MORE. DAY. #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/UE5VPqJXT7

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 31, 2019

"It was not about progress, it was all about winning the second leg," Klopp told Sport1. "We knew we played a good game in Barcelona but ​​clearly lost, and at home we had to play a very good game and win.

"Then, as the game progresses, we see if we can get a score that will give us the chance to completely turn things around just before the end. It turned out that we were full of joyful anticipation for the game.

"We were up for it, even though it was the third game in six days. Then it helped that it was Barcelona and that it was the Champions League and you don't have to think about anything else, because the self-motivation of the players is of course huge.

"What happened then is football and not possible without luck. We needed a good goalkeeper, we needed a sensational defence and we needed a lot of courage to go through as we did.

"When I saw how we started, I had the impression that we had a couple of wolves on the field who had not eaten anything for eight weeks. They really did go like madmen."