For the love of the beautiful game!

Another season gone, another failed attempt at winning the league, so close yet so far! 

While there was so much to cheer if I look back at the season, so many highs, the most prominent thus far being the comeback of comebacks against the mighty Barcelona, yet for all the joy and the pride of having scored 97 points, just 1 defeat in the league, most cleansheets, phenomenal attack, leading the league for 141 days; there is no title to show! This surely is a tough pill to digest.. One of the hardest one as a Liverpool fan, especially looking at how at our title challenge has become a once in 5 years phenomenon and is normally followed by exodus of top players and a season of absolute mediocrity. #Xabi #Masch #Suarez

There are times when I think, why Liverpool or why Football !!!

The answer is also as obvious as the occasional doubts & it lies in the Magical European nights at Anfield and why football is often referred as the Beautiful Game. Last week was a perfect testimony to that, the two Champions league semis, wherein both Liverpool and Spurs overcame insurmountable odds to punch their tickets to Madrid. At the start of the week, Liverpool were looking to overcome a 3 goal first leg deficit, sans 2 of the fab 3, Salah & Firmino. For all the positive words being spoken by players, it still was expected to be a daunting task and most ardent of fans also would be forgiven for not believing & yet there was hope, faint no doubt, but it was there. The KOP did their bit to ensure Anfield was as daunting and unwelcoming as ever. Despite the deficit, the team never looked down and kept on fighting, courtesy the opening goal by Origi who was still riding the high of the late winner against newcastle. Even at HT, it looked impossible, till Gini scored 2 in 2 mins, same 2 mins were magic had begun at Istanbul. at the end, it was complete demolition of  Barca, thwarting the GoAT of possibly a Ballon D'Or.

Spurs on the other hand, were chasing the tie courtesy an away goal conceded in the first leg. Possibly Pochettino might have asked his team emulate Pool's performance from the previous night and hence the Spurs side chose to dig a bigger hole and were staring a 3 goal deficit at HT and then came the fightback from a resurgent Spurs side, aided possibly an inexperienced Ajax side that chose to sit back and ofcourse the brilliance of a second half hattrick by Lucas Moura, with a 96th min equalizer.

Liverpool celebrate with a stirring rendition of YNWA!

Spurs celebrate in front of the traveling fans after the climax

It's nights like these that remind me why I love this sport and why I love Liverpool, why I love the KOP!

While the curtains have been drawn upon an exciting PL season, there is still much to play for with Champions League final to look forward to and as compared to previous title challenges, there is hope that it won't all fade away next season. Klopp and Liverpool are here to stay and here to play the beautiful game!