Liverpool legend John Aldridge thinks Sevilla’s goal right after the half-time break was the deciding factor behind the Reds’ 3-1 loss in the Europa League final last night.
Jurgen Klopp’s team dominated proceedings in the first half at St. Jakob-Park in Basel and headed into the break 1-0 up, courtesy of Daniel Sturridge’s superb 35th minute strike.
But Sevilla equalised straight from their first attack after the half time break through Kevin Gameiro before a brace from Coke helped the Spanish outfit to their third consecutive Europa League triumph.
And Aldridge feels Liverpool never recovered from Sevilla’s early goal after the break as Unai Emery’s men took complete control of the game in the second half.
“I think the goal straight from the kick-off [killed us]. The lads never came back from it”, he said on LFC TV after the game.
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“It was a severe blow, something they didn’t expect. They couldn’t deal with it, first and foremost it was an easy situation to deal with.
“The little tap-in, it knocked the stuffing out of us. We couldn’t do anything afterwards.
“We were a different side to what we were in the first half.”
Liverpool’s loss in the Europa League final means they will not play in Europe next season, with the Reds finishing the 2015/16 Premier League campaign in eighth place with 60 points from 38 outings.
