Lost, amid the sublime composure of £75 million Virgil van Dijk, the fan-pleasing marauding runs of full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson and the promise of Joe Gomez, stands Joel Matip, the forgotten centre-half who may have as big a say in tomorrow’s Champions League Final as any Liverpool star.

Five questions that will decide tomorrow's final at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid.

Reminiscing about Liverpool’s greatest European heroes takes you on a journey of some of football’s most iconic names

Liverpool are through to the Champions League final after beating Barcelona 4-0 in the semi-final second leg at Anfield to win 4-3 on aggregate.

It would have been a crying shame if, after such supreme consistency from the top two, the Premier League title race had been decided before the final day. Having witnessed a battle without any of the typical twists and turns, anything but a final shootout would have been anticlimactic.

The 24th change in top place in the Premier League did not come without the predictable healthy dose of nerve-shredding drama as Mohamed Salah’s 90th minute header forced Toby Alderweireld to turn the ball into his own goal, gifting Liverpool a sorely-needed victory.

England rounded off a year to remember by progressing to the inaugural Nations League finals with a stirring comeback against World Cup semi-final foes, Croatia.

It’s complicated. We should be happy but there’s a palpable dread about how this ends because of others. Well, one other…

With football’s powers that be seemingly intent on garroting their golden goose, with increasingly relentless, wall-to-wall live TV coverage, it's somewhat of a relief that unlike our disappointingly underwhelming midweek cup win, an Arsenal v Liverpool Premiership outing, under the floodlights, remains a sufficiently portentous encounter to set Gooner pulses racing and pack out the Emirates.

Brazil boast more recent Champions League experience than even the leading European nations at this summer’s World Cup.

THERE’S an awful lot of strangeness when you reach your first Champions League final in 11 years.

Gareth Southgate has decided against selecting Joe Hart or Jack Wilshere.

Liverpool 4 Brighton 0

Daniel Storey on the weekend’s major talking points...

What can a miserable old duffer do when there’s nothing to complain about?

Irish defender Conor Masterson is in line for a call-up to the Liverpool bench for tonight's Champions League quarter-final clash with Manchester City.

Jurgen Klopp believed the manner of Liverpool’s come-from-behind victory over Crystal Palace is the perfect way to approach Wednesday’s mouth-watering Champions League clash with Manchester City.

“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown”.

Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool can compete with Europe’s best even if no-one is giving his side much of a chance in the Champions League.

Liverpool's top scorer Mohamed Salah (groin) and Philippe Coutinho (thigh) will miss the FA Cup derby with Everton.

A cynic might suggest it is more than coincidence that Philippe Coutinho’s most prolific goalscoring month in a Liverpool shirt has come just before the transfer window reopens.

Liverpool 0 - West Brom 0: There is an exciting new game at Anfield: Guess the Liverpool team. No one seems to know quite which line-up Jurgen Klopp will go into a game with these days. The only guarantee is that it will not be the team you expected.

A scintillating display of football from Liverpool’s ‘Fab Four’ saw Jurgen Klopp’s side blaze their way into the Champions League knockout phase with a 7-0 victory over Spartak Moscow.

Maribor 0 - Liverpool 7: Liverpool finally found their form in front of goal in a record-breaking 7-0 European away victory against hapless Maribor to finally kick-start their Champions League campaign.

MAN CITY 5 -LIVERPOOL 0: Jurgen Klopp claims neither Manchester City nor Liverpool should read too much into the 5-0 battering his side took at the Etihad Stadium.

Liverpool 4 Hoffenheim 2 (Liverpool win 6-3 on agg): Liverpool overpowered Hoffenheim 4-2 at Anfield to ease into the Champions League group stages with a 6-3 aggregate play-off victory last night.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is happy to be bringing a lead back to Anfield for the second leg of their Champions League play-off against Hoffenheim despite another late defensive lapse.

Teenager Trent Alexander-Arnold enjoyed an extra-special European debut with a brilliant free-kick to set Liverpool on their way to a 2-1 victory in their Champions League play-off first leg against Hoffenheim.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp hailed Trent Alexander-Arnold's performance after the teenager fired the Reds on their way to a 2-1 win over Hoffenheim in their Champions League play-off first-leg.

No doubt who the man-of-the-match was.

It’s hard to know which subject Jurgen Klopp found more wearing to discuss; the future of Philippe Coutinho or the reprise of his Liverpool side’s familiar defensive failings.

Liverpool 3 Middlesbrough 0: When the two minutes of injury-time were up, Jurgen Klopp stood slowly, grinned, hugged every man on the Liverpool bench, and then went and casually but earnestly shook the hand of Steve Agnew, the Middlesbrough caretaker manager.

Liverpool vice-captain James Milner apologised to his team-mates after his penalty miss cost the side victory against Southampton.

Sam Allardyce toasted another unexpected scalp for Crystal Palace by claiming his tactics “exposed Liverpool’s weaknesses time and time again” at Anfield.

Liverpool 2 Bournemouth 2: Divock Origi provided the proof that Liverpool can prosper in attack without Sadio Mane. The problem for manager Jurgen Klopp is that his team remain so vulnerable defensively.

Everyone will say that was a point gained. Everyone can go f… Now now, remember the children. At least they played better than in the last match.

Liverpool central defender Joel Matip is struggling to be fit for the visit of Stoke after missing the last two matches with an ankle injury.

Liverpool 2 Leeds 0: Ben Woodburn had a grin as big as the Mersey as he left the pitch, the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool’s long and illustrious history.

Cork City 0 Liverpool XI 2: Toni Gomes and Yan Dhanda scored as a Liverpool XI beat Cork City in front of a 4,335 fans at Turner’s Cross on Saturday night.