The Reds showed immense character to come back from going a goal and a man down to win in south London, can they repeat the trick against Louis van Gaal's side in Europe?
The game looked to be following a familiar script, but for once, it was Liverpool who ripped through the plot and thwarted Crystal Palace. Last Sunday, it was penalties which denied the Reds a first trophy in four years at Wembley. But at Selhurst Park a week later, Christian Benteke struck from the spot at the death to give them a first league win over the south Londoners in four games. That happy ending didn’t seem likely midway through the second half as Liverpool found themselves a goal and a man down. 
During those first 15 minutes after the interval, Jurgen Klopp would’ve been happier in the press seats at Selhurst Park, with its hugely-obstructed views which offered no clear sight of the game. The way his side imploded was not what he would’ve wanted to see when he urged them to “strike back” against the Eagles, who handed him his first defeat as Reds boss back in November. A failure to clear a corner allowed Joe Ledley to fire Palace ahead on 48 minutes, before a brainless challenge from James Milner on Wilfried Zaha earned him a second yellow and an early exit from the action.
But just as Liverpool seemed to be once again assuming their position as Palace’s punching bag, goalkeeper Alex McCarthy slipped and gifted the ball to Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian applied a composed finish to net his eighth league goal of the season, making him the club’s highest scorer in the competition. And Liverpool offered more offensively with 10 men than they did with a full complement, flinging themselves forward in search of a winner, which they got with seconds remaining. 
Damien Delaney’s knee impeded Benteke, who went down in the box, and then calmly slotted home his penalty to end a run of three straight league defeats against Palace. Klopp had instructed Liverpool to "take points back" from the hosts, who won 2-1 at Anfield as the manager marked his first month at the club. And while the performance was not as explosive as their midweek dismantling of Manchester City, the Merseysiders got the job done in Croydon. They were steely in the closing stages and did not give up on maximum points despite their numerical disadvantage. It is the first time Liverpool have recorded a third successive league win since March last year and they need to continue that run and make "consistency a hobby" if they are to retain any hope of finishing in the top four. Next is another revenge mission against Manchester United in the Europa League last 16. Liverpool have now twice enjoyed retribution in four days and will want to record a hat-trick in the two-legged tie against their arch-rivals.
- Goal