Much has been said about why Liverpool should focus mainly on the Premier League. Considering that they have never won that title since they changed the name, it would seem rather fair to prioritise the domestic competition.
And yet, reaching the Champions League final of the last season has indeed helped Liverpool to be feared and respected again in Europe. Even Jurgen Klopp admitted that nowadays it is easier to bring top footballers to Anfield Road.
Precisely, the German has already finished twice as runner-up on the tournament, and it was Bayern Munich which denied him the glory in 2013.
Then, he was the architect of a Borussia Dortmund full of excellent players such as Gotze, Lewandowski, Gundogan and Reus.
Borussia Dortmund and the glorious age
Despite Bayern Munich having won every Bundesliga cup since 2013, there were some years when a yellow-dressed team got used to lifting trophies while playing an intense and offensive style of football.
Thus, Klopp led his team to win twice in a row the Bundesliga, apart from thrashing their rivals by an astonishing 5-2 at the final of the German Cup. Eventually, there was a power shift that was especially shown during the 2013 Champions League, when both teams reached the last match and then Bayern Munich got a narrow victory by 2-1.
Since then, Gotze and Lewandowski left the team, same as Gundogan and the manager Jurgen Klopp, who now will seek revenge at Anfield Road, a stadium where Liverpool have won all their European matches in this season.
Liverpool is looking to repeat the 2018 feat
After surviving in an extremely difficult group alongside PSG and Napoli, the Reds will face a team which have lifted the same number of Champions League as them, five.
Clearly, it is a battle between two historic squads which are still considered among the favourites to lift the trophy.
And even though Bayern Munich have reached seven times the semifinals in the last nine season, their strength is fading every year.
This is mainly because their main core is still being held by veterans such as Hummels, Boateng, Neuer or Lewandowski. Besides, they have been presenting perhaps the two most influential wing players in the last decade, Ribery and Robben, and both will leave the team at the end of the season.
Anyway, it will be a tough trial for two teams that are also immersed in a tough battle to triumph domestically, against Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund respectively, and where Mane and Salah might become the natural heirs of Robben and Ribery as the most dangerous wingers.
