Georginio Wijnaldum remembers the weight being lifted.
He’s just slammed his team into the lead and, in doing so, has released Anfield’s pressure valve.
Liverpool have scored against Middlesbrough and are en route to confirming qualification for the play-off round of the Champions League.
Their visitors that day - May 21, 2017 - were eventually beaten 3-0 as Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana added to Wijnaldum’s unerring, near-post finish at the Kop end in first-half stoppage time.
“We knew that we had to win to qualify for the Champions League, so we saw it as a final,” the Dutchman recalls in conversation with Liverpoolfc.