Liverpool Football Club Champions of Europe Season Review 2018/19 [Blu-ray]

Although Liverpool had played some decent attacking football in a few of the trophy less seasons between 2012 and 2019, really success can only be judged on silverware ultimately and it was such a massive barren spell especially when you include the period between 2006 and 2012 too. In the previous years under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool had produced sumptuous attacking play with many goals but this was all ultimately undone by a brittle backline and goalkeeper. Finally, in 2018-19 Liverpool under Klopp have remained a strong attacking force but combined it with a maturity in terms of being less gung-ho and controlling the match more at key times. Additionally, a key component of Liverpool's evolution has been through finally possessing a truly robust backline and goalkeeper that achieved the lowest number of goals conceded in the premier league. After years of gaffes, finally the team had a meaner defence which is a hallmark of a lot of successful sides.The league campaign yielded an extraordinary 97 points and although Liverpool failed to win their first league title in nigh on 30 years, they can at least be proud of being the highest league runners-up ever. In the season’s first half, the team won almost every game and the ones in August away to Crystal Palace and at home to Brighton immediately displayed their greater ability to grind out a result. In fact, some fans were not satisfied with a lack of flair in some of the performances in the early season but Klopp with all those wins fully justified his decision to adapt the side somewhat as getting the defence right was a basis of trophy success while it is obviously the sign of a strong team to achieve wins even when not performing at their thrilling maximum.The highlights of the 1st half of the season would have to be in December, firstly through beating Everton at the very last minute via Divock Origi's stunning last-minute intervention which was the catalyst for him scoring future critical strikes later in the season. Although he previously had not fulfilled his full potential in earlier seasons in a red shirt - though to be fair the injury inflicted on him in 2016 by Everton's Funes Mori hampered him - he should never have been ditched before 2017-18 in favour of the 1-goal Dominic Solanke. His tremendous hard work and spirit has transformed him from languishing at Wolfsburg to being now an Anfield legend. The second top moment occurred when the club finally defeated Manchester United for the first time in the league since 2014 inspired by a brace by substitute Xherdan Shaqiri while the third was the comprehensive 5-1 success at home to Arsenal which gave the club a 7-point lead at the turn of the year.However, apart from a bit of a disappointing draw in the other fixture against Arsenal at the Emirates, there were two disappointing results in the 2018 part of the league campaign. A 1-1 draw away to Chelsea was a shame as the team missed a few good chances as Mohamed Salah was in a slightly fallow period as he recovered still from his shoulder injury from the 2018 Champions League final but to be fair at least Daniel Sturridge's outrageous long range goal meant they did attain 1 point. Really though the biggest blow of the early season came when Liverpool - with a "hangover" from a dismal loss away to Napoli earlier in the week - failed to perform at home to title rivals Manchester City. Usually Liverpool has won this fixture and they were in fact fortunate to get a point as Mahrez blazed a penalty over the net. Obviously, if a club fails to win a league by a very narrow margin then it is all the weaker results that must be considered but if they had got their customary home win against the Citizens then they would have landed the league.In fact, 2019 began with - despite a decent performance - a disastrous 2-1 loss at the Etihad and that is where the title began to slip from Liverpool's grasp as the lead reduced to just 4 points. If Liverpool are to win a title soon then clearly, they must be superior next season in the head-to-head City fixtures like they were in the 2017-18 home league fixture and Champions League quarter final. However, to be totally truthful the club were highly unlucky too as Mane - unlike City's Sane - struck the post earlier in the match and the rebound was prevented from crossing the goal line by a miniature distance and Kompany should have been sent off for a terrible tackle.There was other misfortune too in a draw at home to Leicester as Maguire scored his trademark headed goal from around a set piece when he should have been sent off too earlier and the referee made another horrific blunder when he failed to award Naby Keita a legitimate penalty.However, in the other 3 results that cost Liverpool the league it was more about poor/profligate performances affecting the outcome. At West Ham, they were lucky to be given a Sadio Mane goal when Milner was offside in the set-up and they basically did not perform with Klopp's usually reliable offside trap punctured by Keita's shoddy marking for the Antonio equaliser. Away to Manchester United they only achieved a draw as they similarly failed to impress while their arch-rivals were in the middle of a mini revival under Solksjaer. It was most annoying though that local rivals Everton attained a draw at Goodison, which proved to be the fatal setback in the title bid as Salah was uncharacteristically out of sorts in this period missing two great chances while there was another spurned opportunity from Fabinho that would have made the difference. Overall, although Liverpool were unfortunate too in the few disappointing matches of the season, Klopp will have to ensure that if they have another big lead in 2019-20 that they do not allow the pressure to affect them too much. Hopefully, with the experience of this extremely near-miss in 2019 this can be resolved, like also the need for Klopp to ensure that if they are ahead in the race that they are more proactive and do not sit back on leads in games while the substitutions he provided across Stanley Park were too cautious and were never going to snatch a win at the end.Still the team were extremely unlucky though that the gigantic 97 points they accrued would have secured them the title that they and the supporters so desperately crave in all but the last couple of seasons. Personal favourites of the 9 game winning streak at the end of the season were the 2-1 win against Tottenham in which the fervent Anfield support sucked the ball into the net while the Chelsea 2-0 home win was remarkable too with the finest goal of the season scored from Salah with an unstoppable lightning bolt of a strike from long-range. Although they did not win the league ultimately, the Robertson slip not costing a goal provided some closure from the infamous Gerrard slip 5 years ago. Although perhaps a bit of the pressure was off as they were now playing the chaser in the title race, they were fantastic in this last 9 games with Origi's dramatic late header in the penultimate match versus Newcastle at least taking it until the final day.It was fairly obvious Klopp was not too concerned about achieving anything in the domestic cups, especially the FA Cup. It would be nice to see that change in the future if Liverpool are not in the running for Champions League or Premier League as it is another opportunity for silverware but in this season it was acceptable as the European Cup was secured for a sixth time in 2018-19 after 14 years since the last. Like in the club's previous 2004-05 Champions League win, again the group stage performance was not too impressive. Away from home, although Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli are stern opposition, the side was not at its best while despite being ultimately triumphant at the end of the competition, they even lost to Red Star Belgrade away too in the group stage and were ineffectual that night. However, the team's 100% successful home performances saved them. But it was a genuine example of those fine margins as if Roberto Firmino had not scored a superb late goal to win 3-2 against Paris SG and Alisson had not made that exceptional point-blank stop late in a 1-0 win against Napoli (again there were parallels with 2004-05 as they either had to win 1-0 or by 2 goals in the final group match) then they would have been out before the round of 16.However, in the knockout rounds Liverpool showed their true class as a nil-nil draw at home to German giants Bayern Munich in the first leg was not too costly as they had not conceded an away goal and their 2nd leg away performance was a step forward from those in the group stage as they defeated them 3-1 with Mane scoring a terrific twisting finish that was easily amongst the top 3 goals of the season. Liverpool received a good draw in the quarter final as Porto were once again dispatched by a large margin.However, the semi-final was simply spellbinding. Despite being harshly defeated 3-0 due to Messi’s magic, Klopp's management skills were at his peak as instead of castigating the players he instead sympathised and supported them as actually they had performed well and Mane, Milner and Salah all should have converted their chances.However, in the 2nd leg at Anfield - featured in full on the bonus disc - with its illustrious fans, like with the Istanbul performance in 2005 Liverpool sensationally recovered the deficit and achieved the unthinkable again especially given that Firmino and Salah were both injured. In the 1st half, the early Origi goal provided hope but really for the rest of that first 45 minutes the Catalans had the best chances but when they did get through the otherwise impeccable Liverpool backline – Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip and Trent Alexander-Arnold were amazing - Alisson came to the rescue brilliantly saving from Messi, Coutinho and Alba. Although the energetic Jordan Henderson recovered from a knock, former player Luis Suarez sneakily kicked Andy Robertson and eliminated him from the game for the second half. I still do admire Suarez despite these antics as after all he contributed to Liverpool's only other trophy success of this decade - the 2012 League Cup - though it was embarrassing but ultimately it proved to be his team's undoing as Gini Wijnaldum entered the fray. The 2nd half was simply even more exquisite and unbelievable as Wijnaldum scored two quickfire goals which swung the balance back into Liverpool's favour. Although Shaqiri lost possession a few times, which provided Barcelona with some interesting opportunities earlier in the game even he was hard working and ultimately successful as a backup to the thrilling three of Salah, Mane and Firmino as he produced a precise cross for Wijnaldum's excellent headed equaliser. Alexander-Arnold had provided an accurate cross for Wijnaldum's first and his sensational quick thinking to catch Barcelona's defenders unaware with a radar-like corner assisted Origi's powerfully finished winning goal.Again the small details in the 2 games made the difference as if Alisson had not ignored Klopp's instruction to go forward for a corner at the Camp Nou then perhaps a 4-0 Barcelona lead might have been a bit too insurmountable (though admittedly the Anfield 90 minutes result would have taken it into extra time at least if the players still had enough belief) while Fabinho did well to still perform admirably and not be dismissed despite an early yellow card and Suarez's goading.It was the greatest comeback in Champions League 2-legged history certainly and totally unprecedented as not many gave the Reds a chance of turning the tie around but 14 years on it happened again. It was phenomenal and the greatest Anfield European night ever and equal with the miracle of Istanbul as although the 2005 team only had 45 minutes to score 3 goals and this 2019 version had 90 minutes, if just 1 goal had been scored by Barcelona then Liverpool would highly probably have been eliminated as they would have had to score 5. Additionally, the match deserves to be included in full even more so because in terms of excitement it was superior to the final.However, the final in a different way is equally worthwhile and that is not just for receiving this massively desired trophy at the end. Although Liverpool were poor in possession and Tottenham mostly won the midfield battle, Liverpool were superior in the two most crucial thirds of the pitch - defence/goalkeeper and in attack. The team was much more mature and grittier than in the previous year's showpiece and Tottenham failed to prise them open. Although Matip was virtually equal in terms of defensive performance with Van Dijk - even assisting the second goal though Van Dijk also contributed to this - the man of the match was still the latter as after all he marshals the back 4 though the former was a slightly unsung hero. Although Alexander-Arnold and Robertson were not at their most threatening in an attacking sense, defensively they helped to nullify Spurs' attackers, saving Liverpool too – along with the centre backs - on numerous occasions. Alisson was the antithesis of Loris Karius' performance against Real Madrid as he commanded his area well and thwarted Tottenham with some heroic flying saves - the one from Eriksen's free kick was the best - on the few occasions that Tottenham had shots on target towards the end. Henderson and Fabinho despite providing some solid defensive work - though the club captain did help create the penalty - did not really perform to their best and Wijnaldum was not anywhere at the same level as in the semi-final. Up front though Liverpool were decisive despite Firmino being unfit after injury and Mane and Salah only being quietly effective though Mane won the penalty as his pass was hand balled and Salah banished his Kiev heartbreak by blasting the extremely early penalty into the centre of the net above Lloris. But the top star man up front was clearly the unlikely - given that he was not part of Klopp's plans for over a year - hero and now club legend Origi providing a pivotal precisely driven goal that extinguished Spurs' hopes. In Madrid, Klopp was correct in his substitutions and provided them early enough with not just Origi making the difference but also through James Milner - who finally won the Champions League at 33 - not just almost scoring but taking the corner that created Origi's strike.Although in terms of enterprising attacking football then the tense final was not for the purists, but I totally disagree that it was not worthwhile because really it is enjoyable for a Liverpool long-awaited defensive masterclass punctuated by a thrilling penalty and magnificent finish. In another footballing sense - and not just for the trophy lifting - it is as enjoyable to re-watch as the semi-final and ultimately all that matters is that it was won.Clearly, when a team wins something massive then the whole squad contributes and that was certainly the case with Klopp's 2018-19 Reds. Alisson was fantastic all the way through the season, rarely making a mistake and recovering fast on a few times he did which is a great sign of mental strength. Alexander-Arnold and Robertson had a friendly rivalry in creating assists - a record for two defenders in the same side in the league achieving so many - with their galloping dribbles up field and accurate deliveries from wide which were a key feature of Klopp's attack. Van Dijk became the finest defender in world football and fully deserved his player of the year awards while Matip was brilliant too and Joe Gomez looked a fantastic centre-back in the first half of the season. Wijnaldum, Henderson and Milner were as excellent and industrious as ever while after a slow start Naby Keita became a more decisive player, scoring 3 times towards the end of the season while Fabinho became one of the finest defensive midfielders in Europe.Although because of the slight tweaks to Klopp's tactics the thrilling three were not totally as prolific as the previous year they still displayed how they are one of the most revered and envied attacks in world football with Mane personally scoring more goals than he had achieved before. Although Salah had a frustrating period of form from early February until April it was always difficult for him to score as many as in 2017-18 and he was still a massive player scoring many goals. Though hopefully next year he will not experience a similar goal drought for some matches. Although Firmino was not at his very top level in 2018-19 - perhaps due to being played slightly out of position in first half of the season - he was still rather fantastic scoring 16 goals.Even players who were on the periphery assisted Liverpool’s Premier League near-miss and ultimate glory in Madrid. Although Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana experienced a lot of injury, the former scored a tremendous volleyed finish at home to Newcastle on Boxing Day while the latter provided - like in 2017-18 - a strong showing against Burnley. Shaqiri produced some effective contributions and goals helping to fill the void left by Coutinho's departure as an attacking playmaker in the first half of the season while Sturridge initially appeared like his old self scoring 4 times in August and September combined - his opening goal against Paris SG was vital and he deserved his Champions League medal too. There was one player who Klopp made a mistake with, in his management however and that was Nathaniel Clyne. He produced a strong display at home to Manchester United and was then dropped in favour of Milner in the next game effectively pushing him out and towards a loan to Bournemouth. Alexander-Arnold was injured in early 2019 and Milner struggled in some games defensively at right back so why was Clyne alienated away? Still that was Klopp's sole mishap in a season of great achievement.Liverpool’s 2018-19 campaign was fantastic and clearly with the 97 points gained too this is one of the very finest Reds sides of all time. If they had followed the advice of some people/pundits and concentrated solely on their league campaign then they would have been suckered into being trophy less again - all those league wins with only 1 loss were marvellous but it was only enough to become runners-up unfortunately and it was the Champions League win that transformed the season from "just" being very good to being truly special. Finally after 7 long years the team has a trophy again and the biggest one in Europe with the French, German and Spanish champions conquered en route, and as the 2011-12 side failed to qualify for the Champions League then this is the first time since 2004-2006 that they look truly capable again. In terms of the Blu-ray itself, although possibly the picture quality is not totally perfect it looks decent enough and despite there being only Sky Sports/BT Sport commentary on some of the matches on the season review and disappointingly the 2 full matches on the bonus disc are not the TV commentary that does not make it rubbish. But anyway although there is so much competition (that great City side won all domestic trophies) and perhaps - although the squad should definitely remain much the same as 2018-19 - they need a couple of new signings to replace the released Sturridge and Moreno, I hope that this can breed a new era of success for Liverpool. But at least whatever happens Klopp has built something over years at Liverpool and when he does eventually leave he will have secured silverware unlike the unsuccessful Hodgson and Rodgers. But hopefully Liverpool like after Kiev can learn from the slight mistakes of the 2018-19 league campaign and win their first title in three decades next season, but for now the club's 6th European Cup win in the searing heat of Madrid on 1st June can be enjoyed for the rest of the summer and forever more.

It's the longest amount of football I've watched in years.It's brilliant and a great insight to the season and a good luck at some of the matches I remember seeing.

What a team. What a night. What a manager.

A hugely enjoyable football reminder, I love it

I have given this product 5 stars as the season review feature is formatted consistently and has a good mix between LFCTV commentary,sky commentary and BT commentary although the BT sport commentary should of been used instead of the LFCTV commentary for the Barcelona 2nd leg and the final as it's a better audio quality and a better standard of commentary in my opinion. Good narration from Peter McDowell and great interviews with the players.I find it strange that the parade is on the season review disk not the semi final and final disk but that could be down to the length of the 2 games being on 1 DVD.I enjoyed both DVDs but think all of the post match celebrations should of been included for the final (klopp being thrown in air was missing and the team standing arms linked singing YNWA with the fans and trophy was missing to).Overall a nice little momento for all liverpool fans but the above improvements could make future additions of the product better for when we win more silverware.

A thumping DVD of an epic season , I put 5 stars I should have put 6 ! , the full season on the firs disc , Europe , both cups and the Prem matches , everything covered ,even a small feature on the FA Youth cup final win against Man City , second disc features the entire games of the home tie v Barcelona and the Final for our big plumped up 6th European , Champions league cup win , with the homes coming on included and so much more , it is a must for all Reds, it has to go in the collection a masterpiece . ****** stars.

Would love to have given this 5 stars but unfortunately the full game coverage of the matches vs Barcelona and Tottenham are accompanied by the LFC TV commentary. The live BT commentary was so much better and would have made this release perfect. The guy doing the LFC TV commentary really isn’t very good. A shame really as the picture quality is pretty good and having a 2nd disc with two complete games on is great.

There is nothing to dislike. Until recently had everything on this disk recorded on my Sky box in ultra hd but the box overloaded or anyway went wrong and I had to wipe the hard drive to get it working again - so lost all recorded material. This disk has replaced all the footage I lost and the picture and sound quality is excellent. Am really pleased to have it all back and of course without loading up the Sky box again. Don't know why others have criticised it - maybe their equipment was the problem.

Love every minute of this vdo.

Ein Must für jeden Liverpool Fan, Hin- und Rückspiel gegen Barca sowie das Finale in voller Länge

Interesante, se me ponen los pelos de punta

My partner's UK football team is Liverpool, and each year I buy her this DVD and she thoroughly enjoys it. Anyone who follows the LFC will love this. Even I didn't mind it, and I am NOT a sports person!

大好きなリヴァプールがチャンピオンズリーグ優勝した、あの感動の瞬間を何度でも見返したくてDVDを購入。PAL形式なのでうちのデッキ（パナソニックDega）では見られませんが、PCで問題なく再生できました。大逆転のバルサ戦は何度見ても泣けます！