Liverpool caps season recovery by clinching CL qualification

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LIVERPOOL, England — No trophy to celebrate this year but clinching Champions League qualification proved a welcome consolation prize for Liverpool.

Fans were allowed back into Anfield for the first time in 2021 in time to see Sadio Mane’s double clinch a final-day 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday.

After winning the Premier League trophy last season — to end a 30-year English title drought — celebrating third place might seem underwhelming. Especially when the team was top the last time fans were allowed briefly back onto the Kop in December.

But when Liverpool was beaten at an empty Anfield 77 days ago by Fulham, the champions dropped to eighth place, four points from fourth.

Even with key players still injured — notably center back Virgil van Dijk — Jürgen Klopp masterminded a recovery to ensure the comedown from the title last July wasn’t quite as crushing by securing a return to the Champions League.


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