Sevilla comeback stuns Liverpool

Sevilla came back from three goals down to draw 3-3 with Liverpool on Tuesday and keep hold of their Champions League fate.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp had failed to win any of his seven previous trips to Spain as a Coach, but Roberto Firmino’s brace and a Sadio Mane header inside the opening half-hour seemed to have put the Reds out of sight.

Nonetheless, a spirited Sevilla turnaround saw Wissam Ben Yedder bag a brace, before Guido Pizarro scrambled home a corner deep in stoppage time.

The result evoked comparisons of their opponents’ famous win against Milan in the 2005 Champions League Final, with some describing it ‘Sevillstanbul’ on Twitter.

“I’m delighted with my players for the pride they showed and how they moved the fans. You always win when you play like this,” Coach Eduardo Berizzo said after the game.

“We’d conceded goals from set pieces, and we had to forget [about going 3-0 down] and rely on our pride.

“It was an exam against a great team, who we ended up holding to a draw, and we didn’t let them out of their half of the pitch in the second half.

“I congratulate my players for believing that [the comeback] was possible. Franco [Vazquez]’s introduction did us a lot of good as we became more forward with our play.

“Pablo [Sarabia] had a great game on the wing. We just attacked and attacked.

“I thought [the comeback] was possible, even if it may sound like I’m pandering to the fans.

“We were able to embarrass ourselves, rectify things and show the soul of a team that competed like animals. You become unstoppable like that.”

Sevilla simply need to beat NK Maribor in two weeks’ time to reach the last 16, while top spot will be achieved if Liverpool also fail to beat Spartak Moscow.

Sevilla 3-3 Liverpool

Ben Yedder 51, pen 60, Pizarro 90 (S) Firmino 2, 30, Mane 22 (L)

Sevilla: Sergio Rico; Mercado, Lenglet, Geis, Escudero; N’Zonzi (Franco Vazquez 46), Banega, Pizarro; Sarabia, Ben Yedder (Correa 81), Nolito (Muriel 73)

Liverpool: Karius; Joe Gomez, Lovren, Klavan, Moreno (Milner 63); Henderson, Wijnaldum, Coutinho (Can 63); Salah (Oxlade-Chamberlain 87), Firmino, Sane

Referee: Brych (GER)

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