Liverpool didn’t lose the Europa League final in the second half; they lost it in the last few minutes of the first half .
At one-nil down, defending champions Sevilla looked more like Aston Villa than a team that had mastered winning this tournament. They were vulnerable.
Having given Liverpool most of the opportunities in the first half hour of the match, Sevilla became a haphazard kerfuffle, losing both possession and confidence. The four-time winner of the Europa League was on the ropes, with red flags across Basel waving with fervour and pride. As Liverpool swept the ball away from a panicked Sevilla side, some observers predicted a thrashing by Jürgen Klopp’s side.
The German manager, who has only been at the helm for seven months, gestured to his team even as celebrations over the goal roared around St Jakob Park Stadium, putting his index fingers up to his temple as if to remind them of the need to remain focused. Here was the master of Liverpool’s game-plan knowing exactly how crucial these next few minutes would be. Could his side show Sevilla they weren’t just about taking the lead, but that they were ready to win by two, maybe three, goals?
This is, after all, the tournament that separates the men from the boys in Europe. Win in Basel and you will be playing in the Champions League next season—a recent but popular change to the Europa League rulebook. For Klopp, it wasn’t just about a chance to play in Europe’s most prestigious league, but to entice world class players to join his squad in this summer’s transfer window.
It was in these final fifteen minutes of the first half that Liverpool could have made the difference they needed to secure victory. A 2-0 lead going into half-time would have not just changed the confidence level in the Liverpool dressing room, but it would have made keeping that confidence after conceding a first goal much easier. Daniel Sturridge had given the English side the lead with a stunning goal which should have set the style of play—high tempo at the front and an impressive finish worthy of a European final.
Through the remainder of the first half, Philippe Coutinho continued to cause problems on the left, while a Alberto Moreno cross was missed by James Milner. Nathaniel Clyne took advantage of the space around him to push forward down the right again and again, and Adam Lallana proved to be a superior playmaker as he danced around more than a few white shirts at once. The closest the English side got to a second goal came as Clyne crossed beautifully into the six-yard box but neither Sturridge nor Brazilian forward Firmino could get a touch.
As Sevilla struggled to keep shape before the half-time whistle, Dejan Lovren’s header hit the back of the net but Sturridge dangled a leg in front of Sevilla’s goalkeeper and the flag went up for offside. Liverpool played brilliantly in the first half, but failing to score that all-important second goal proved a changing point.
When the game resumed after half time, it was as if the teams had swapped in the tunnel. Sevilla came back to score within 17 seconds and, in Klopp’s own words, that’s when everything changed:
“Everything changed in this moment. We had a wonderful atmosphere until the 1-1. Then Sevilla took the game.”
A disappointed James Milner told cameras after the match that Liverpool had failed to materialise on their half-time promises.
“We said all the right things at half-time about being switched on, but we didn’t show that.”
Perhaps half-time was already too late. If Liverpool still led after that first flash goal from Sevilla, the Europa League trophy may have been on its way to Merseyside tonight.
