Liverpool reached the UEFA Cup final on 14 April 1976 after drawing 1–1 with Barcelona at Anfield. Phil Thompson's second-half goal was quickly answered by Carles Rexach, but the visitors could not overturn the advantage John Toshack had established in Spain. Bob Paisley's side went through 2–1 on aggregate.
Toshack's goal at Camp Nou had made Liverpool the first English club to win away to Barcelona. It also gave the return match a precise starting point: Liverpool did not need another victory, while their opponents had to score. An Anfield attendance of 55,104 watched the second half of the contest unfold.
Paisley selected a side captained by Emlyn Hughes, with Thompson alongside him in defence and Ray Clemence in goal. Kevin Keegan and Toshack both started, as did Steve Heighway and Jimmy Case. Barcelona's team included Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens, with Pedro Mora keeping goal.
The first half ended without a breakthrough. Five minutes after the restart, Thompson finished from close range to put Liverpool ahead on the night and two goals clear across the tie. The scorer came from the defensive ranks, but his contribution had an immediate effect on Barcelona's task: they now required two goals.
Their response came almost at once. Cruyff supplied Rexach for an equaliser, restoring the narrow aggregate margin. Another Barcelona goal, without a Liverpool reply, would have sent the Spanish side through on away goals. The home lead therefore offered no room for an unanswered mistake.
Liverpool continued looking for a second goal rather than simply surrendering the initiative. It did not arrive, but neither did the strike Barcelona needed. Brian Hall replaced Case with ten minutes remaining, and the score stayed unchanged to the final whistle.
Club Brugge would be the opposition in the final. Liverpool had eliminated Barcelona without losing either leg, adding another round to a campaign that had already taken them past Hibernian, Real Sociedad, Slask Wroclaw and Dynamo Dresden. Thompson's finish had helped turn the hard-earned win in Spain into passage to the final.