Gini: Champions League run inspired by Sevilla frustration
Georginio Wijnaldum believes Liverpool would not have made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League were it not for their chastening experience away to Sevilla in the group stages.
Jürgen Klopp's team appeared to have qualification for the knockout phase stitched up at half-time of their penultimate group game back in November, having carved out a three-goal lead in the first half an hour of their visit to Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
However, Wissam Ben Yedder's quickfire double after the break and an injury-time strike from Guido Pizarro helped the Spanish side claim an unlikely point and keep their hopes of leapfrogging the Reds alive.
Liverpool went on to seal their place in the next round with a 7-0 thrashing of Spartak Moscow on the next matchday, and they have gone from strength to strength in setting up a last-four meeting with AS Roma.
But for Wijnaldum, the impressive performances he and his teammates have put in of late would not be possible without the important lessons learned from that evening in Seville.
Asked specifically about that game, the Dutchman told UEFA: "I think we responded very well and positively.
"Of course, it was a pity we didn’t win there after leading 3-0, but I guess it was also a bit of a reality check for us because it showed us that in the Champions League, if you are winning 3-0 the match is not over and done with yet.
"Every team has ability and every team can come back into it, so maybe in the end it was good for us that this happened.
"It helped us to win the tie against Manchester City."
LFCTV GO: Sevilla 3-3 Liverpool
The contribution of Liverpool fans to the quarter-final victory over Manchester City is not lost on Wijnaldum, either.
The 27-year-old describes hearing the club's supporters sing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' as a 'profound experience', and underlined their importance to this season's European journey.
He added: "[YNWA is] something I’ve mentioned in other interviews: you never get used to it.
"You experience it as if for the first time on every single occasion. That’s how fantastic it is, not just for me as a player but for everyone present.
"Every week, sometimes twice, it’s a profound experience for me. Can you imagine the people coming here for the first time? I get goosebumps every time I hear it.
"The fans are there at every game to support us and I hope they feel they’re being rewarded for it, as even in the tough times they’ve backed us. [The support is] amazing but hard to describe. I became a football player to experience these things.
"When you step out onto the pitch, you feel that they are giving even more than in the Premier League. Champions League matches are very special and they prove this to you.
"The fans who always sing, who build the atmosphere in the stadium. They can really help you to get through a difficult moment.
"When it’s not going well in a match, they can help you to find more drive, more energy. It’s great."
Liverpool's No.5 was also keen to pay tribute to the role his manager has played in continental competition this term.
One of Klopp's biggest strengths, according to Wijnaldum, is that he strikes a good balance between providing vital tactical instructions and allowing his players to express themselves on the pitch.
"I think I’ve said it before, but the way he prepares us for a match is just excellent," he continued.
"He tries to prepare us in the best possible way and show us how we can win, what we must do to win a game.
"But he also gives us freedom, freedom to play, because he knows we all have special qualities and these can only be expressed when we are free to play.
"So he helps us to do things that we think are good on the pitch. I know for sure that from the players he gets all the credit he deserves.
"We all think he is fantastic and we are happy with him, also because he is very honest, very direct. He has just one goal and that is to make us better.
"It can be very intense because he always demands more than 100 per cent but I really think we benefit from the way he works and that’s why the players really give him credit.
"I think the fans and the club are very happy with him and I think that he knows that too."