'These boys are f***ing mentality giants' - Klopp over the moon following Liverpool comeback

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp couldn’t contain his emotions after watching his side pull off a dramatic 4-3 aggregate victory over Barcelona to reach the Champions League final.

Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Klopp did not hold back in expressing how he felt.

“It’s 10 past 10, most of the children are probably in bed, but these boys are f***ing mentality giants,” the German said of his players, who won 4-0 at Anfield on Tuesday to overturn a 0-3 first-leg deficit.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s unbelievable! If you have to fine me. I’m not native so I don’t have better words for it.”

Klopp was full of praise for the attitude and application his players showed in achieving one of the greatest comebacks in the competition’s history.

“They are mentality giants,” added Klopp. “It’s just not possible. I saw James Milner crying after the game on the pitch. It means so much to all of us. And I mean to all of us, I really mean all of us. It’s the best place of football.”

“There are more important things in the world,” continued Klopp, “but creating this kind of emotional atmosphere together is so special and getting tonight the reward for that is just… but it’s all about the players.”

Missing star performers such as Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino through injury, Liverpool’s back-up players were key to their success.

Xherdan Shaqiri made a rare start, while Divock Origi scored two goals - including the vital fourth - to write his name into Liverpool history.

“Look, in a game like this you have to be confident, you have to be really confident,” continued Klopp, who guided Liverpool to the final of this competition last season before losing to Real Madrid.

“Divock and Shaq didn’t play a lot, stuff like that. It’s difficult with rhythm and all these things. Putting a performance like this on the pitch, it was so important to us, it was so important to them.

It just shows what’s possible in football.”

Despite Barca’s significant lead heading into the second leg, the Reds refused to accept they were beaten as Klopp’s side mounted the most memorable of comebacks at Anfield.

Divock Origi sparked the fightback when he opened the scoring after just six minutes, before substitute Georginio Wijnaldum’s quick-fire brace after half-time drew the sides level on aggregate.

Origi then scored the decisive goal with just 12 minutes remaining following Trent Alexander-Arnold’s quick-thinking from a corner kick.

Asked about his inventive assist, the young England full-back revealed it was purely spontaneous.

“It was just instinctive,” Alexander-Arnold told BT Sport. “It’s just one of those moments when you see the opportunity and obviously Div was switched on as well to finish it off.

“It probably came at him a bit fast but he’s a top player, scored two goals for us tonight and I think it’s one of them where everyone will remember this moment.”

Goal hero Origi was also on cloud nine but says Liverpool always believed the tie wasn’t over after the first leg.

“I think it was more about the team. We did so well. We fought. We knew that today was going to be a special night. We wanted to fight also for the injured guys. So it’s just special. It’s hard to describe in words. You can feel it, you can hear it. So yeah, unbelievable.”

“We fought so hard. It was a fight and we knew it could have impact on the players. Even me in the end I had some cramps but we fought until the end. It shows we have a good mix of talent and hard work. It’s special for us because we go to the final this time.”

Liverpool will face either Spurs or Ajax in the final on June 1.