Liverpool 0 Southampton 1 (0-2 AGG): Shane Long blasts Saints into EFL Cup final after Daniel Sturridge wastes two golden chances
Out-of-form Anfield hitman could not find the target as Irish striker piled misery on Jurgen Klopp
JURGEN KLOPP'S 100 per cent record in semi-finals came crashing down when Shane Long silenced the Kop in injury time.
The German had won every last-four clash he has been in - four with Borussia Dortmund and two with Liverpool - until tonight.
But the Reds boss was left frustrated as he watched Daniel Sturridge spurn two golden opportunities, prolonging his dreams of early silverware.
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Truthfully, the hosts were lucky to trail by just Nathan Redmond's first-leg strike at half time.
Redmond made two blistering runs before the break but Dusan Tadic passed straight at Loris Karius and captain Steven Davis lashed into the Kop under pressure.
After the break Liverpool upped their game.
Sturridge wildly skied a 59th-minute overhead kick from inside the penalty box, before lofting a volley over the bar just four minutes later.
Southampton absorbed a barrage of attacks from the hosts in the final 20 minutes of the game.
It was a heart-in-your-mouth moment for young Jack Stephens, making just his sixth senior appearance for Southampton, when he tackled Divock Origi in the box.
The Belgian - and 50,000 plus Liverpool fans - all screamed penalty, but ref Martin Atkinson ignored the cries and rightly allowed play to go on.
Substitute Long then punished Liverpool for their wastefulness in front of goal as he scored at the death.
Saints now march on to face either Manchester United or Hull at Wembley in the final.
FACTS, STATS, GOALS & LOLS
- SAINTS had a little bit of history going for them as the match kicked off – they were the first club to knock Liverpool out of the Football League in November 1960 . . . winning 2-1 at Anfield.
- LORIS KARIUS got another chance to try to become Liverpool’s No1 goalkeeper having conceded 13 goals in 14 games while Simon Mignolet this season has let in 15 in 15.
- JACK STEPHENS had his name chanted as “one of our own” by the Saints fans as they took a dig at Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana for leaving for Liverpool in 2014.
- MARTIN ATKINSON held his nerve to deny Liverpool a 91st-minute penalty - and a chance to stay in the game. Divock Origi went down under newbie Jack Stephens' challenge but replays showed Stephens got the ball.
14Philippe Coutinho was unable to inspire Liverpool to victory after signing a £200,000-a-week contractCredit: Reuters 
14Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard was at Anfield to watch the EFL Cup semi-finalCredit: AP:Associated Press - PHILIPPE COUTINHO’s new five-year £200,000-per-week contract clearly had not gone to his head as he put hard yards in trying to find space beyond Southampton’s well-organised five-man midfield.
- SO much for captain fantastic . . . Steven Davis slammed a brilliant opportunity into the Kop in the 41st minute when on target would have silenced it.
- CLAUDE PUEL always looks miserable anyway but he seemed especially so as he stood arms folded against the biting wind in a light coat – while Jurgen Klopp was well bundled up, hoodie included.
14Shane Long celebrates sending Southampton through to the EFL Cup final at WembleyCredit: Reuters 
14Southampton weathered the Liverpool storm and came out winners over two legsCredit: Reuters - IT just never seems like it is going to happen for Daniel Sturridge with the Liverpool fans as they showed their first-half frustration by picking on anything he doesn’t get perfect.
- Dusan Tadic should have opened the scoring in the 36th minute but lazily swept the ball into the oncoming Loris Karius. Fair play to the German, who silenced a few critics in the process, ahem, Gary Neville . . .
- NATHAN REDMOND must have been shooting daggers at his team-mates at half time. The £11million signing from Norwich made two blistering runs down the left within five minutes, only for Tadic and Steven Davis to spurn their lines.
- ANFIELD must do something to keepers. Fraser Forster could have been mistaken for Simon Mignloet or Loris Karius when he fumbled Emre Can's shot - only the England stopper did brilliantly to slap the ball off the line and make immediate amends.
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Dream Team ratings
Liverpool: Karius6 , Alexander-Arnold 6, Matip 6, Lovren 6, Milner 6, Can 7 (Origi 5), Henderson 7, Lallana 6, Firmino 7, Sturridge 5 , Coutinho 6 (Wijnaldum 5).
Subs not used: Mignolet, Klavan, Moreno, Lucas, Woodburn.
Southampton: Forster 6, Soares 6, Stephens 8, Yoshida 7, Bertrand 6, Ward-Prowse 6 (Hojbjerg 6), Romeu 7, Davis 6, Redmond 7 (Sims 6), Rodriguez 6 (Long 7), Tadic 6.
Subs not used: Lewis, Clasie, Martina, McQueen.
Goal: Long 90+1
STAR MAN: Stephens
What they said
Southampton keeper Fraser Forster: "I thought I did enough to get there but the footballing gods were with me in the end.
"Luckily it didn't go in and we'll take that. We did enough in both legs, we created a lot of chances and limited them. It’s always a hard place to come
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp: "We had big chances and no luck. It was a lucky save and a good save, the ref AGAIN didn’t see the Long handball and that doesn’t help.
"I think we played well, it’s difficult but you have to create chances and we had seven and you have to score, we didn’t so we lost. We need to score goals."