Klopp has not yet recovered from his obsession with losing to Real
* Liverpool - Real: 3am on Wednesday 22/2, Hanoi time.
In his pre-match press conference at Anfield, Klopp revealed that he had just reviewed last season's final to prepare for the two rounds of the 1/8 round against Real this season. "I immediately realized why I didn't watch this match before," said the German coach. "It was like torture, because Liverpool kicked well and should have won. We could have won, but we couldn't. Real scored and Liverpool didn't."
In the final at the Stade de France, Liverpool controlled 54% of the ball, finishing 24 times with nine shots on target - compared to Real's four and two. In the first half, Liverpool shot ten times, with half of them on target. The best opportunity came in the 21st minute, when Sadio Mane crossed the goal and shot to the near corner but was pushed by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
In the second half, the Spanish team continued to kick and make a difference in the 59th minute. Federico Valverde stretched across the far post to let Vinicius hit the ball from close range to score, helping Real win the Champions League / C1 Cup. 14th Europe.
According to Klopp, Real is experienced and does not worry or lose confidence when the opponent creates many opportunities. The 55-year-old coach also believes that Liverpool do not play risky enough to make a difference because they spend too much restraint on the most traditional club in Europe. "A little more blood, Liverpool could have won. But that's Real, and we can't go out without respect for them," he added. "Real is a world-class club. Real have many players who have won it five times and you can think they are the boss of this tournament. That may be true, but we still want to fight for the next place. ".
Liverpool and Real have met nine European Cup matches, including three Champions League finals, formerly known as the C1 Cup. Liverpool won the final in early 1981, but lost two finals in 2018 and 2022. In the remaining six confrontations, Real was also marginally better with three wins, one draw and two losses.
Klopp stressed that Liverpool are in a better position to compete for a ticket to the Champions League quarter-finals than they were a few weeks ago. Liverpool somewhat relieved with two consecutive wins against Newcastle and Everton to revive their ambition to enter the top 4 of the Premier League. Klopp also considers the great war with Real as a test to assess Liverpool's performance.
"Hopefully Liverpool can create psychological momentum from the last two victories," said the German coach. "But to be honest, Liverpool need to play two super games to go through. If you're not at your best, you don't stand a chance against Real. Meanwhile, Real don't have to play at their best. there's still a chance. That's the difference."
Klopp also expressed his admiration for Carlo Ancelotti, praising his colleagues as a wonderful, humble, super intelligent coach with a very high level of human resource management. He also called Vinicius a Real legend, and revealed that Darwin Nunez could play today despite a shoulder injury in the win over Newcastle over the weekend.
