Liverpool produced one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history to beat Barcelona 4-0 on Tuesday, overturning a three-goal first-leg deficit and advancing to its second successive final with a 4-3 aggregate victory.
Two goals each from stand-in forward Divock Origi and halftime substitute Georginio Wijnaldum left Lionel Messi and Barcelona utterly shell-shocked.
Liverpool became only the third team in the history of the European Cup or Champions League to come from three goals down after the first-leg of a semifinal and progress after Panathinaikos in 1970-71 and Barcelona itself in 1985-86.
Messi, whose two goals in the first-leg had given his team a seemingly comfortable advantage, was unable to influence the game with an away goal that would have been decisive.
Extraordinary
The scoreline was remarkable enough in itself, but the fact that Liverpool overcame five-time European champion Barcelona without two thirds of its usual strike force made it extraordinary.
With inspirational Egyptian Mohamed Salah and key Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino injured, Jurgen Klopp had to play Belgian reserve Origi alongside Sadio Mane, with Swiss attacking midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri also given a rare start.
Poor clearance
Liverpool grabbed a seventh-minute lead when a poor headed clearance from Jordi Alba fell to Mane, who laid it off for Jordan Henderson, who burst goalwards.
His low shot was parried out by keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen but straight to Origi who slotted home.
Barca had openings in the first half but when Messi twice got space around the box he fired wide of the target.
Yet the game took a remarkable turn following the introduction at the break of Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum for injured left back Andy Robertson.
The Dutchman drove home a low cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold, which keeper Ter Stegen should have saved, to make it 2-0 .
Two minutes later Wijnaldum rose to meet a Shaqiri cross with a powerful header to make it 3-3 on aggregate.
Liverpool grabbed an extraordinary fourth goal with a quickly-taken corner from Alexander-Arnold, catching the Barca defence asleep with a low ball that was turned in by Origi.
The result:
Semifinal, second-leg: Liverpool 4 (Origi 7, 79, Wijnaldum 54, 56) bt Barcelona 0 (Liverpool wins 4-3 on aggregate).