Jose Mourinho Hails 'Fantastic' Jurgen Klopp After Liverpool Beat Barcelona

Jose Mourinho heaped praise on former rival Jurgen Klopp after Liverpool's remarkable comeback victory against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday.

The Reds went into the second leg of their last four tie trailing 3-0 and with a near-impossible task on their hands given the absence of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino:

However, on one of Anfield's most remarkable nights, Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum both netted doubles to earn Liverpool the 4-0 victory they needed to advance to a second consecutive Champions League final (U.S. only):

Mourinho has come up against Klopp with Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United, and he recently highlighted the fact the German has won "absolutely nothing for three-and-a-half years" at Liverpool.

But he had nothing but praise for the former Borussia Dortmund boss after Liverpool's performance on Tuesday, per beIN Sports (h/t Jack Rathborn of The Independent):

"For me, this [comeback] has one name—Jurgen. This is about him. This is a reflection of his personality—don't give up—his fighting spirit, every player giving everything. He's not crying because he's missing [injured] players, he's not crying because they're playing 50 or 60 matches a season. ... Today is about Jurgen's mentality. This is not about tactics, not about philosophy. This is about heart and soul and fantastic empathy he has created with that group of players."

Klopp has now led Liverpool to three European finals during his time at the club:

The 2015-16 UEFA Europa League final ended in a 3-1 defeat to Sevilla, and they lost last year's Champions League final by the same scoreline to Real Madrid. 

This year, though, they will head into the final as favourites against either Tottenham Hotspur or Ajax.

And the opportunity for a remarkable double is still alive.

Before Tuesday's match, and after Manchester City won against Leicester City in the Premier League on Monday, the prospect of a trophyless season for Liverpool seemed inevitable.

But the Reds' remarkable win over Barcelona has put them in the box seat to win their first trophy since 2012's League Cup triumph.

And there will now be renewed hope among the Liverpool faithful that there could yet be a twist in the Premier League title race on the final day of the season.

Liverpool are trailing City by one point after 37 matches of the 2018-19 season:

That means, if they are to be crowned champions for the first time since 1990, they must beat Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday and hope the Sky Blues drop points against Brighton & Hove Albion.

It seems unlikely given City are on a 13-game winning run in the league and Brighton have little to play for after their Premier League safety was confirmed by Cardiff City's relegation.

But after Tuesday, Liverpool fans will surely believe anything is possible.