The stunning comebacks in both of this week's Champions League semifinals raise the question of what it takes for a team to overcome a seemingly insurmountable deficit. Part of the answer is in the players' heads.
Yet both Klopp's team and Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs pulled off amazing comebacks on Tuesday and Wednesday to set up an all-English Champions League final in Madrid on June 1. Obviously both winning coaches had to get their tactics and lineups right — and make the right in-game adjustments — but what was it about their teams' mindsets that helped them complete what looked like almost impossible tasks?
Right basic mental attitude
Jens Kleinert, head of the psychology institute at the German Sport University Cologne, told DW that you can only pull off something like Liverpool and Tottenham did this week if the right basic mental attitude exists in the team in the first place.
"You have to be optimistic about being capable of turning things around," Kleinert said. "I found it very interesting when Jürgen Klopp said ahead of the second leg at Anfield that his team were capable of scoring two goals in the last five minutes. "
Jens Kleiner of the German Sport University CologneImage: privat
'Self-efficacy'
However, this is not just about a vague belief in one's capabilities, it's much more concrete than that, something psychologists refer to as self efficacy.
"This is the conviction that you are equipped with certain abilities, technical prowess, and the tactics that make you capable of being successful in such situations," Kleinert said. "It's this combination of optimism and a positive mental attitude on the one hand, but also a clear idea of how it can be done, that makes a team incredibly strong in such situations."
Apart from going on the offensive by replacing midfielder Victor Wanyama with striker Fernando Llorente at the break, Pochettino had to find the words during halftime to make his players believe the comeback was actually possible. This was particularly crucial, given that Spurs have been struggling for form in the Premier League for weeks.
According to Kleinert this wouldn't have posed as much of a problem as you may think.
"What is important is how the players see themselves," he said. "The Tottenham players knew what they are capable of and what they have achieved in the past, even if they haven't done so well in recent weeks."
This, he said, meant that Pochettino would have been able to use these past successes, to convince his players believe that coming back wasn't just a theoretically possibility.
Winner and loser: Toby Alderweireld of Spurs consoles Ajax striker Dusan Tadic moments after the final whistleImage: imago/PA Images/B. Collyer
The other side of the coin
However, the team fighting to come back from a deficit is only one side of the equation. The opponents can find themselves caught in the mindset of simply trying to hold what they have, which in turn can trigger a fear of failure.
This effect is magnified when the attacking side pulls one back, as Liverpool did through Divock Origi's goal in the seventh minute of Tuesday's match, or as Spurs did with Lucas Moura's first in the 55th minute on Wednesday.
Fear leads to mistakes
What Kleinert describes as a "defensive way of thinking" can have a very negative effect on the defending team.
"This emotional attitude in a team actually results in them making little errors that they might not otherwise make," he said.
This effect also becomes greater the closer the defending team is to victory, particularly in a key match like a Champions League semifinal.
"This of course, plays into the hands of the attacking team, and when these two things come together, the optimism, belief and self confidence on the part of the attacking team and the fear of losing on the defending side, you can understand why small mistakes occur, which make such comebacks possible."
And while Kleinert noted that the mental side of the game is only a small aspect of what goes into a comeback or winning in general – it can be decisive in a close match – perhaps like the one Klopp and Pochettino are set for in Madrid.
The biggest comebacks in European football
Both Liverpool and Tottenham have come back from three-goal deficits to set up an all-English Champions League final. Here we look back at some of the biggest comebacks in the history of European football.
Image: Reuters/Action Images/M. Childs
A four-goal advantage squandered
Supporters of FC La Chaux-de-Fonds don't have fond memories of their tie against Leixoes SC in the 1961-62 Cup Winners' Cup. The Swiss won the first leg 6-2 at home, but in the return match, goalkeeper Leo Eichmann (pictured, right - in a match against FC Zurich), didn't have his best night as the Portuguese side won 5-0 - and sent La Chaux-de-Fonds crashing out of the tournament.
Image: picture-allianc/dpa/KEYSTONE
The miracle at the Betzenberg
Back in March of 1982 Kaiserslautern were still in the Bundesliga and faced Real Madrid in the quarterfinals oft he UEFA Cup. Having lost 3-1 in Madrid, the Red Devils beat Real, including West German international Uli Stielike (third from left), 5-0 back in Kaiserslautern to advance. The fact that the Spaniards had three players sent off didn't hurt Kaiserslautern's cause.
Image: picture-alliance/Jörg Schmitt
Just enough for the reversal
December 1985: Borussia Mönchengladbach traveled to Madrid holding a 5-1 advantage from the first leg of their third-round tie in the UEFA Cup, but managed to blow it. Jorge Valdano and Carlos Santillana scored a brace each in the second leg, played in Madrid's Bernabeu stadium to give Real precisely the result they required to advance: 4-0.
Image: picture-alliance/EFE/EFE
Seven goals in Krefeld
Bayern 05 Uerdingen were in the Bundesliga in the 1980s and '90s and even won the German Cup in 1985. This qualified them for the Cup Winners' Cup the following season. In 1986 the West German side lost to Dynamo Dresden in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie, played in East Germany, 2-0. However, they won 7-3 back home in Krefeld. Rudi Bommer (pictured) was one of their key players.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
'Euro-Eddy' and a wild night at the Wildparkstadion
Karlsruhe have been in the second division for years, but they too have European memories to look back on. November 1993: Having lost 3-1 to the heavily favored Valencia in the first leg of their UEFA Cup last-16 encounter, Winnie Schäfer's team ran the Spaniards ragged back at their own Wildparkstadion, winning the second leg 7-0 to advance. Edgar "Eddy" Schmitt (photo) had four of the goals.
Image: picture-alliance/GES/Augenklick
A rare setback for Bayern Munich
A night to forget for Bayern Munich. May 1999: Bayern were up 1-0 after 90 minutes of the Champions League final in Barcelona. Then disaster struck: Manchester United's Teddy Sherringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer each scored in injury time to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Mario Basler, who had put Bayern ahead in the sixth minute, described it as a "bitter pill" to swallow.
Image: Imago
A game of two halves
May 2005: AC Milan took a 3-0 lead in the first half and looked to be in the driver's seat of their Champions League final against Liverpool in Istanbul. In the second half, though, the "Reds" were a completely different team, scoring three goals in the space of 15 minutes to even the score. The Merseysiders prevailed on penalties allowing captain Steve Gerrard to lift the trophy.
Image: picture-alliance/M. Ulmer
David takes down Goliath
A classic David and Goliath story: AC Milan had no trouble with the underdogs, Deportivo La Coruna in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal in 2004, winning 4-1. However, in the second leg, the Spanish minnows took down the Italian giants, winning 4-0 to advance to the semis.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/empics/T. Marshall
Four crucial minutes
The numbers in this comeback are not particularly impressive. Borussia Dortmund played to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal in Malaga. In the second leg, the Germans won 3-2. However, Malaga had taken a 2-1 lead into injury time. Four minutes and two Dortmund goals later, Borussia had reversed the contest and advanced to the semis.
Image: picture alliance/Pressefoto Baumann
Left for dead
March 2017. Barcelona looked to be dead and buried after having lost the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash against PSG 4-0 in Paris. In the second leg, Barca quickly scored three before Edinson Cavani pulled one back for Paris. In the final minutes, though, the Catalans came up with three more goals to make the final 6-1 - and advance 6-5 on aggregate.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Morenatti
Roman reversal
Rome, April 2018: Barcelona go into the second leg of their quarterfinal tie against Roma with a 4-1 lead. An Edin Dzeko strike gives the Romans early hope with his goal in the sixth minute. Daniele de Rossi converts from the spot and Kostas Manolas adds a third to make the comeback complete – Roma advance on the away-goals rule. Barca coach Ernesto Valverde can only wonder what has hit him.
May 7, 2019: Again Barca look to have things wrapped up, having won the first leg of their semifinal against Liverpool 3-0 at the Camp Nou. This time it takes Divock Origi seven minutes to give Liverpool hope. Two goals from Georginio Wijnaldum pull Liverpool level before Origi adds his second from a corner to put Jürgen Klopp's side through to their second consecutive Champions League final.
Image: Reuters/P. Noble
Hat-trick hero
May 8, 2019: After Hakim Ziyech gave Ajax a second goal in Amsterdam - for a three-goal cushion on aggregate - the Dutch side appeared all but through to the final. But nobody told Lucas Moura. The Brazilian scored two quick goals just before the hour mark to get Spurs back into it. Then he got his third six minutes into injury time to put the North London side through on the away-goals rule.
