The three key moments which took the Reds to the Champions League final

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This time next week, the Reds will hopefully have won a sixth European Cup and celebrations will be rife, not just in Liverpool but for fans all across the world.

Madrid will have been turned red whatever the outcome, and even if Spurs do cause an upset, there will still have been some incredible moments en route to the Wanda Metropolitano.

As the excitement and tension builds ahead of the final, Matt Addison takes a look back at three of the crucial turning points on the Reds’ European run so far.

Salah’s strike

It is easy to forget now that on the last day of the group stages, the Reds needed to win at Anfield in order to qualify for the knockout stages and avoid dropping into the Europa League.

What most people remember from that game is the stunning save that Alisson pulled off to keep the scoreline at 1-0 late on, but the man who had given the Reds that slender lead, Mo Salah, should also be praised.

At that time, there were some question marks over his form, and why he wasn’t smiling when he was scoring, but that goal, scored after remarkable composure to make Kalidou Koulibaly look like a statue, gave Anfield lift-off.

Had it not been for that dribble and finish, Alisson’s save would have counted for nothing and the season could have looked very different.

Mane’s magic

Bayern Munich, everyone was told, were no longer the force they once were, but the eventual winners of the Bundesliga, who boast world-class players like Robert Lewandowski and Thiago Alcantara, were far from an easy opponent in the last-16.

Having breezed past FC Porto at the same stage the previous season, the Reds were due a big hitter and stepped up with a big performance in the second leg at the Allianz Arena that was befitting of a side heading towards the final.

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The key moment in the tie was when Sadio Mane controlled a long-ball with an expert touch, before a swift swivel of his hips caught out Manuel Neuer and gave him the split second he required to chip a deft effort into the far corner of the net.

The Senegalese made a Bayern defence and goalkeeper look daft with his moment of sheer quality, and the win in Germany set up a run of 11 victories from the last 12 games of the season, the only blot being the ultimately unimportant defeat in Barcelona.

Trent’s genius

That defeat in Spain at the hands of Lionel Messi was ultimately meaningless thanks to an incredible comeback that will live long in the memory as Anfield’s greatest European night.

The 4-0 win over the Catalonians, which has caused all kinds of trouble for Ernesto Valverde’s men, was made possible by a stunning performance.

While it is possible to pick out many brilliant showings on the night – with Jordan Henderson, Divock Origi and Gini Wijnaldum just three of those deserving of colossal praise – the quick-thinking genius of Trent Alexander-Arnold was what sealed Barcelona’s fate.

At 20 years old, to produce a moment like that in front of the Kop is something he will never forget; his corner kick was one of the best assists Anfield, or even the Champions League, has ever seen, and Origi finished with aplomb.

Whatever the result is in the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday night, the Reds have given supporters many memorable moments throughout this season. Seeing Henderson lifting the trophy at full-time would top the lot.

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