ITV Sport interviewed Liverpool captain and vice-captain Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher straight after tonight’s aggregate victory over Barcelona. Liverpool are through the last eight of the Champions League now, but had to hang on for the last 15 minutes after Barcelona got one of the two away goals they needed to get back into the game. Carragher was asked how tough it was to hang on for that last period of the game: “We kept going quite well,” he said, “they had a great chance, Ronaldinho’s hit the post, but up until then we did quite well defensively. Players of that quality are bound to open you up. Great finish by Gudjohnsen, going round the keeper, we didn’t need that for the last 15 minutes to go. We were hanging on, but, a great victory in the end.”
Gerrard was asked what had got Liverpool through: “I think two good team performances,” he said. “I think we were unlucky not to go in at half-time ahead, then we paid for it for the last fifteen to twenty minutes. A side like Barcelona, with the quality they’ve got, as Jamie said, they’re so good going forward, they play such nice football, they’re going to get chances, but we stuck in there.”
Gerrard also had a word for the supporters: “The fans were superb they helped us get through it and we’re in the last eight now.”
Carragher was asked where the game ranked alongside all the other great matches over the years in Europe for Liverpool: “We’ve got a great history in Europe, and besides from winning the trophies and winning the finals, this is probably the biggest result the club’s ever had in Europe. Even though we’ve knocked them out, they’re still the best club side in the world so it shows how well we’ve done.”
Back to Gerrard, and he was asked whether Liverpool had played as well tonight as they had in the Nou Camp: “I’m not too sure. You’d have to look at the two games to see which was the better performance. You got more spirit more grit more determination – there were people throwing bodies, blocking their shots, (pointing to Carragher) awesome over the two legs, that’s one of the reasons why we’re through.”
And what did Carra feel at the final whistle? “Relief!” he said. “Ten or twelve minutes to go you’re just praying for the whistle. I didn’t realise the ref had blew it until a few seconds afterwards, but, delighted.”
Gerrard finished the interview off, saying: “There’s still a long way to go but that’ll give us great confidence. If we can go through over two legs against the best side in Europe then you know – we’re ready for anyone.”