Mats Hummels
Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp (L) speaks with Dortmund's defender Marcel Schmelzer (C) and Dortmund's defender Mats Hummels after the UEFA Europa league quarter-final second leg football match between Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund at Anfield stadium in Liverpool on April 14, 2016 Getty

Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels has said that the Germans stopped playing after going 3-1 up in the second half, allowing Liverpool a way back into the game. Jurgen Klopp's men threw Anfield into raptures with a performance reminiscent of their Champions League final win in 2005 at Istanbul, where they came back from going 3-0 down in the first half against AC Milan to eventually win the game.

Dejan Lovren scored the winning goal in injury time as Klopp got one over his former club and led Liverpool into the semi-finals. They are only three games away from winning the Europa League, which will allow them a route back into the Champions league. Divock Origi, Philippe Coutinho and Mamadou Sakho scored the other three goals to script one of the greatest comebacks Anfield has ever witnessed.

Hummels admitted that the Bundesliga club were resting on their laurels and should have played the game in the same manner as they did before taking the lead in the game.

"When we scored to make it 3-1 we thought we were through," Hummels told Sky Germany, as quoted by the Mirror. "We stopped defending aggressively and stopped playing football when we scored the 3-1. Then we suddenly got the jitters. We gave it away.

"Liverpool would never have come back if we had continued to play our socks off after we scored the 3-1. We should have made the opponent chase the ball. Instead we just lost touch too often in defence. We just can't concede goals like that, that was too easy for them. This defeat is the one that hurts the most this season."

Opposition manager Thomas Tuchel cut a disconsolate figure after the game and was unable to give a proper reasoning for his team's failure to progress further in the competition.

"I can't explain it. If I could explain it then something logical would have happened. You can't explain it. If you can explain then you should be able to make a difference. If things happen then you have to be an honourable loser and congratulations to Liverpool. You take defeat like a champion," Tuchel said.

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