Origi strike earns Klopp a happy return

Origi's sixth goal of the season earned the Reds a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their quarter-final tie against tournament favourites Borussia Dortmund.

The Belgian struck nine minutes before the break as the Reds grabbed the all-important away goal on Jurgen Klopp's return to his former club.

And while Dortmund skipper Mats Hummels equalised three minutes after the interval, Liverpool know a goalless draw in next Thursday's return game at Anfield will be enough to progress to the last four.

Klopp made a big call by choosing Origi ahead of Daniel Sturridge to lead the line, while Roberto Firmino was deemed only fit enough for bench duty.

After a cagey start, the first real shot of note saw Dortmund dangerman Marco Reus drag an effort wide on 15 minutes.

Two minutes later, Marcel Schmelzer was released in space down the Liverpool right and cut back to Henrikh Mkhitaryan, whose shot was brilliantly blocked by Mamadou Sakho.

The visitors, though, should have been ahead midway through the half.

A free-kick from the right was whipped in by James Milner but the unmarked Dejan Lovren could only head into the ground and at Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller from eight yards out.

However, Dortmund began to probe further as Liverpool started to cough up mistakes.

Sakho produced another fine interception to sniff out one dangerous attack, Mkhitaryan slipped and shot wide when Liverpool's defence parted momentarily and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fired tamely at Mignolet.

But it was Liverpool who struck first on 36 minutes when Origi justified his selection by running on to a Milner flick-on from Philippe Coutinho's long pass and shooting beyond Weidenfeller via a small deflection off Lukasz Piszczek.

The Reds, sensing Dortmund were wavering, then almost snatched another but were twice hounded out in quick succession.

However, it required a timely challenge by Lovren to deny Aubameyang on the stroke of half-time moments before Simon Mignolet denied Reus.

There was still time for Alberto Moreno to send Origi clear but the Belgian was this time denied by Weidenfeller.

And that miss proved costly as Dortmund were level on 48 minutes when the unmarked Hummels heading in after a short corner was played to Mkhitaryan on the right.

Liverpool responded, with Weidenfeller making a brilliant save to deny Coutinho before, in the same passage of play, repelling Clyne and then Coutinho once more.

But with the Reds' defence standing firm, Dortmund and their fans became frustrated, Mignolet rarely tested to leave Klopp reflecting on a happy return to his former stomping ground.

Source: Liverpool Echo

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