Daniel Ghorbal, our Liverpool fan reporter, was at Anfield on the night that Liverpool stunned Lionel Messi’s Barcelona

When it comes to Champions League nights, Anfield is one of the competition’s defining venues.

In 2019, when Barcelona came to town after a 3-0 win in the semi-final first leg, optimism was pretty limited among the Liverpool fanbase and hopes of a stunning comeback minimal. All it took to change that for me, though, was a walk down Arkles Road as flares lit up the early-evening Anfield sky when the team arrived at the stadium.

I had approached the evening with relatively little expectation, yet as I entered the ground I reminded myself that this is Anfield, where dreams are made and magic happens.The crowd was almost feral, with loud whistles creating as hostile an atmosphere as possible for the Barcelona team. With Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino out through injury, we had been written off from minute one. But there are times when you are in that arena, with that atmosphere, and it simply doesn't matter who plays. What matters is the badge on front of the shirt.

Divock Origi sparked fresh hope by scoring after just seven minutes, igniting the crowd and reiterating the message to Barcelona: this is Anfield. Chants of ‘Allez, Allez, Allez!’ roared around the ground as every Catalonian touch was greeted with boos that intensified with every passing moment.

Gini Wijnaldum came on at half-time with a point to prove and just 10 minutes after his introduction, a dramatic brace had blown the roof off Anfield. Fans of all ages erupted with joy around me as the reality sank in. Against all the odds, Liverpool had levelled the tie. Every fan in every seat was stood up, engrossed by the sheer magnitude of the occasion. Barcelona looked aghast, their fans below me silenced.

Then, the moment happened: Trent Alexander-Arnold’s instinctive corner caught everyone off guard and Origi dispatched Liverpool’s fourth.

When the final whistle sounded, the bellowing of You’ll Never Walk Alone epitomised the spirit of the team and fans on the night. I looked around me to see floods of emotion pouring out of supporters who had witnessed the greatest night in this great ground’s history.

The occasion reminded me just how special this competition is too. When adversity is thrown at you, Anfield can be a place where magic happens. On that night there truly was ‘glory round the Fields of Anfield Road’.