I have been fortunate to travel into Europe many times with Liverpool FC. This seasons draw threw up a new opportunity though in the form of a pairing with RB Liepzig. As has been the case for many years now the sourcing of a match ticket proved to be the hardest part of the trip. Predictably once that was done all the cheaper flights had already been snapped up. Even those involving bizarre routes via Dublin and Oslo with a thirteen hour stop over. Still the hit of relatively expensive direct flights to and from Berlin was salved by the match ticket costing less than thirteen pounds.

Departing from the ambitiously named London Stansted airport (being nowhere near London) we received the usual no thrills service from Ryanair for the mercifully short flight to Berlin. After a slightly unnerving very bumpy landing the plan then was to catch a train from Berlin to Leipzig. Not for the last time on the trip though the legendary efficiency of German transport failed and we were left with a few hours wait in Berlin.

Ultimately this proved to be a good thing as we were able to wander out from the station to the Brandenberg Gate. It’s amazing to think of all the world changing events the Gate has witnessed, not least as a place where so many people gathered when the Berlin Wall began to come down in 1989.

Eventually we left for Leipzig. Unsurprisingly the train was packed with travelling Reds, all in high spirits ahead of the game the following day. The first task on arrival was to head to the Radisson Blue hotel in the city to pick up our match tickets. Then on to our hotel (which had only opened the previous week) to check in. Although that process was slow we were relieved that at least it was actually open.

The events of the evening from there are a bit of a blur. As with any large city in the world it seems, there were definitely at least two Irish bars we visited initially. The plan was to get some food but at each place we seemed to arrive just as they stopped serving. At some point we seemed on the verge of success having successfully ordered. Only to be told that there was a problem with the water supply and we all had to leave the premises.

This should have been the signal to go and get a McDonald’s and head to bed. Instead we went to a traditional German beer house for ‘just one more’, eventually emerging from there at fractionally before 4am. Packed full of the usual suspects the drinks had flowed as the anthems were continually belted out with gusto. As we walked back to the hotel the streets were unsurprisingly eerily quiet.

In retrospect of course the beer house was a bad idea. The next morning being completely missed in bed and the chance for some sightseeing in this fine city lost. We made up for it a little in the afternoon in and around Leipzig’s magnificent square. Even the railway station is a fantastic piece of architecture here though. Also finally we enjoyed some food. Berlin Sausage, chips and mayonnaise being delicious if not the healthiest of choices.

We chose to walk up to the ground from the centre of Leipzig which with the help of technology guiding us took about forty minutes, including a torch lit part through a wooded area. In the distance we could hear various shuttle buses travelling back and forth full of Liverpool supporters in full voice.

I realise that because of the sponsorship of Red Bull, Leipzig are very unpopular within German football. Their ground is an impressive one though. Additionally as well as the aforementioned cheap tickets they have a decent array of food in the kiosks for the away end. Alcohol is also served admittedly at a relatively low abbreviation.

As everyone knows by now out on the pitch Liverpool won a hard fought game by one goal to nil. The rail seating available to us in that part of the ground was similar to that on the Kop at Anfield and apart from a very small part of the pitch that was obscured by the many travelling flags gave an excellent view of the action. After being saluted by the players and an increasingly confident Arnie Slot it was time to depart. This time back through a different wood and straight to our hotel.

Next morning it was time to head for home. This gave the usually excellent German public transport another opportunity to fail on us. A fault on the railway line making travel to Berlin airport very difficult and needing the remedy of a forty Euro Uber to ensure we made our flight. As always never a dull moment watching the Reds in Europe. On to the next we go.