The atmosphere created by fans inside the stadium has always played the crucial role of the 12th man on big European nights for numerous top clubs and Liverpool are no stranger to this phenomenon.
The infamous comeback against Barcelona during the 2018/19 UCL semi-finals would not have been possible without Anfield getting behind Jurgen Klopp and his men. Experienced serial winners such as Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets struggled with the electrifying pace of the game and the crowd on this remarkable UCL night for the English side.
It was even the case on Wednesday night when the Reds hosted a valiant Villareal, who could not hold on to their rigid structure in the second half as they crumbled under pressure from both the team and the bellowing Anfield crowd. The travelling 2000 Villareal fans were no match for the Kop End alone as Liverpool walked out 2-0 winners on the night.
The Merseyside outfit under Klopp have been praised by pundits, rival club officials and the entire footballing community for turning the stadium into fortress Anfield and it looks like they have a new fanatic.
Man City and USMNT goalkeeper Zack Steffen praised the buzzing cauldron that is Anfield when asked about the best atmosphere to play at, while on the Pardon My Take podcast.
“It has to be Anfield. Liverpool fans are insane, how they sing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone.’ West Ham too, we played them midweek in London, and still, they were sold out and everyone was up for it,” remarked Steffen while on the American podcast.
With both Liverpool and City going after the Premier League title over the last few years, a healthy competitive rivalry has emerged between Klopp and Guardiola and the two sets of squads. Steffen’s latest admission is a part of this larger growing show of respect between arguably the best sides in England at the moment.
