The 2-5 defeat that Liverpool and their fans had to swallow in the first Champions League round of 16 against Real Madrid will be remembered for a long time. For the first time, the “Reds” conceded five goals at home in European tournaments and set other unwanted records in the club’s history.
Let’s revisit some of Liverpool’s most unpleasant defeats in the Klopp era:
Aston Villa – Liverpool 2-7 (October 4, 2020), Premier League
Liverpool conceded seven goals for the first time since 1963. The “Reds” were without Alisson due to injury, and Adrian was in goal. The backup goalkeeper endured a true nightmare on the field.
Manchester City – Liverpool 5-0 (September 9, 2017), Premier League
Liverpool headed to the Etihad Stadium at the start of the 2017/18 campaign after an impressive 4-0 victory at home against Arsenal. However, the “Reds” were immediately brought down to earth by Pep Guardiola’s team, who showed no mercy. Sergio Aguero gave the hosts an early lead, and Liverpool’s situation worsened significantly after Sadio Mane received a red card for a reckless challenge on Ederson. City took full advantage of their numerical superiority, and Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sane scored two goals each in the rout.
Brighton – Liverpool 3-0 (January 14, 2023), Premier League
This match simply has to be mentioned here, especially since Klopp said it was the weakest performance of his team in his entire coaching career. The Merseysiders were truly a tragic sight at the Amex Stadium, and the “Seagulls” could have won even more convincingly.
Watford – Liverpool 3-0 (December 20, 2015), Premier League
One of the heaviest defeats in the early months of Klopp’s tenure at Liverpool came at Vicarage Road against newly-promoted Watford. Goalkeeper Adam Bogdan had a horrific debut, and Nathan Ake and Odion Ighalo both scored twice for the “Hornets.”
Liverpool – Everton 0-2 (January 20, 2021), Premier League
This one was truly painful, and guess who was leading Everton at the time? That’s right – Carlo Ancelotti. Liverpool had total domination in the Merseyside derby at home, but Everton broke the shackles and secured their first victory at their neighbors’ ground since 1999. The “Toffees” took the lead with a goal from Richarlison, and then Gylfi Sigurdsson sealed Liverpool’s fate with a penalty awarded for a foul on Trent Alexander-Arnold. It was a memorable victory for Everton that their fans won’t forget anytime soon.
