Liverpool - Real: Paying the Champions League debt?
* Liverpool - Real: 3am on Wednesday 22/2, Hanoi time.
Coach Jurgen Klopp once brought Liverpool to the top of Europe in the 2018-2019 season. But without Real, the German military leader could make more marks in the history of the tournament. Failures in the two Champions League finals 2017-2018 and 2021-2022 are perhaps the most bitter lows of Klopp's career.
"Watching last year's final is torture. Liverpool kicked well and should have won. But Real scored, Liverpool didn't. A little more blood, Liverpool could have won. But that's Real. , and we cannot play without respect for them," Klopp told his pre-match press conference, after revealing he had watched last year's final to find a way to deal with Real.
Liverpool have faced Real Madrid nine times in European Cups. From 2009 and earlier, the two teams met three times and the victory belonged to the English team. However, the next six confrontations, Liverpool lost five and drew one. This is Liverpool's longest winless streak against any European opponent. Among these is the confrontation in the quarter-finals of the Champions League 2020-2021. At that time, Liverpool lost 1-3 in the first leg at the Bernabeu and drew 0-0 in the second leg. In total, Klopp has been eliminated by Real three times.
Twice losing to Real in the final can be considered the golden age of Liverpool under Klopp. Compared to then, the current Anfield team can no longer maintain its strength. Sadio Mane's departure leaves a big hole in the attack and despite spending money to bring in blockbusters like Darwin Nunez or Cody Gakpo, Klopp has not been able to find the formula that turned Liverpool's attack into a terror with Champions League opponents.
Liverpool's decline is reflected in the fact that they are only eighth in the Premier League. Liverpool's current situation is similar to the 2020-2021 season, when the injury of a series of pillars made them short of breath in the domestic arena and could not take revenge on Real in the Champions League. The fact that only second in the group stage also made Klopp's teachers and students soon reunite with their opponents, which is considered dirty for them.
Real is one of the most stable teams in Europe in recent years. When the financial situation is difficult, president Florentino Perez no longer spends money to bring in superstars. But the talent of Carlo Ancelotti and the veterans still make Real formidable. Winning the Champions League last season is the clearest proof of the bravery of the Bernabeu team.
Before the game, Ancelotti hinted that he knew how Liverpool would play. The Italian military leader said: "We are very excited and want to perform as well as last season. But the upcoming confrontation will be very difficult. Last season's final was even, when Liverpool had more possession, and Real. But this time it was different because we had to play two rounds of the last 16, and we needed to play well for at least 180 minutes Liverpool won't give you time to breathe, because they press very well. We know that and are ready."
Liverpool will look to Anfield's home ground as a fulcrum for their revenge. Here, Klopp's teachers and students are unbeaten in the last seven matches. However, Real kept a clean sheet in the last two times as a guest of Liverpool. In the last five seasons, Liverpool only once stopped in the 1/8 round of the Champions League when losing to Real's city rival Atletico Madrid in the 2019-2020 season.
Klopp's teachers and students ran the momentum for this match with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle over the weekend, but at the cost of Darwin Nunez's injury. The Uruguayan striker will need to be tested to see if he is fit to play. Luis Diaz, Ibrahima Konate, Thiago Alcantara and Calvin Ramsay are certainly absent on the host side.
Similarly, Real look forward to the main striker Karim Benzema to recover after being absent from the match against Osasuna due to muscle tension. Midfield duo Aurelien Tchouameni and Toni Kroos are absent due to the flu, forcing Ancelotti to use Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos instead. Left-back Ferland Mendy is also absent, but Real have the timely return of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
