Topic: Real Madrid v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League R16 Second Leg, 15 March 2023

[NarutoReds]

I'm of the opposite mindset, the best thing that could have happened for us to try and advance on Wednesday was a loss at Bournemouth. Lots of talk of complacency from players, manager and fans. Hopefully that was the kick up the arse they need to prevail tomorrow.

I just hope the loss to Bournemouth to be a blessing in disguise. Do that in office and someone could lose the job on next day actually. As you said, kick up the arse is our only hope to throw away the complacency.

[Macc77]

Mindset should be to win the game, and if at some stage it appears we have half a chance of getting back in the tie, go for it. A win at the Bernabau would at the very least restore a bit of confidence and put is in better shape for the run-in. Winning the tie IMO shouldn't be on our minds when the game kicks off, because going all out from the first minute will get us beat. Try to manage the game, get a one goal lead at HT and see where we are with 20 to go. If it's on, it's on, if it's not, win the leg, show the world that whilst we've been beaten we aren't finished, and take it into the league games.

[redk84]

Just wanna see a good away performance. That's all

To remind themselves they are capable of it

[Draex]

If anyone can.. We can..

Allez Allez Allez..

[So… Howard Philips]

I'm of the opposite mindset, the best thing that could have happened for us to try and advance on Wednesday was a loss at Bournemouth. Lots of talk of complacency from players, manager and fans. Hopefully that was the kick up the arse they need to prevail tomorrow.

They must have very bruised arses after all those losses this season.

[Pistolero]

You'd think after Saturday’s disgrace that a pride-dented bounce back would be on the cards....but to be honest with this side I haven't got a clue how we'll perform or how it'll go...we could boss them, slot 3 or 4 and go through...or we could quite easily get twatted again..... the only certainty is that I'm not putting any bets on..

[Kennys from heaven]

This is Liverpool Football club and no matter how bleak things seem, there is always a chance when this club is involved.

We've got a habit of making history when we've been given no chance. Never give up. Never give in.

Minimum from the game is that the attitude should be "fuck it - just go for it". The worst thing imaginable would be that we show an acceptance of the situation and give no fight at all from the off. Maybe a cliche and passe to say, but don't leave anything out there. That's all we ask.

Allez Redmen.

[stoa]

Barca has already topped Istanbul for me, because we were shite except for the 6 miracle minutes in the Final.

Saying that we just need and Istanbul from the start of the second half until Jerzy saves the last pen. 6 minutes of shock and awe, got 3-0 up then defend like their lives depend on it then beat them on pens. Although I'd prefer 4 in 10 mins and no extra time or pens.

For me, you can't really compare those two. The only thing that is similar is that both were unexpected. Istanbul was as much about the win itself as it was about the whole run we had in the CL that season with the kind of team we had. We performed way beyond what we should have been capable of, looking at players like Igor Biscan, Djimi Traore, Flo Sinama-Pongolle and even Neil Mellor to help us out and amazingly they all did the job, when they were called upon. Winning the CL that way, was very special. The Barca game was more about the tie itself and it was an incredible achievement to turn it around. Having said that, the Barca-win in the first leg was probably one of the most unfair results we've had in recent years and the only thing coming close to that was that loss in the Club World Cup under Rafa where we completely battered whoever we were playing there and still lost. So, the team we had then was much better than the one we had for Istanbul. Having said that, it was still a great achievement looking at what had happened in the first leg and what players we were missing in the second leg.

I guess what I'm trying to say is both Istanbul and Barcelona were special moments and we are lucky that we constantly have teams that can produce those kinds of moments.

[Andy82lfc]

The way our season has gone you can easily see us getting tonked 4-0, but then again you can also see us winning 3-0, then going on to get knocked out easy in the next round by the shittest team left in 

Whatever happens one thing is true for sure, we get one goal first and they will start to twitch, when that happens anything is possible, second goal after that and the third becomes inevitable as they will be traumatised at the thought of themselves caving a 5-2 lead.

So for me 3-0 is not exactly the stuff of miracles, in 2005 maybe but not with the group we have today so think it's doable, just depends if the team versus the Mancs turns up or the team against Bournemouth turns up.

I'd like us to get to half time 0-0 so then if the above does happen and we nick a goal they don't get a chance to re-group, teams can fold under that pressure and they are no different to anyone else.   

[Zlen]

Just saying but, beating them 0-4 would go a long way towards settling the score.
Not quite even, but it would help.

[A Red Abroad]

Lovin' some of the confidence here.

Me? I just feel a bit sick - and it will get worse the closer it gets to kick-off. 

[El Lobo]

Any other club I think its finished....but you just never know what we can pull from a hat.

[BoRed]

You still need to be rewarded for finishing first in your group so you can have the extra 30 minutes at home if the tie is level after 180 minutes?

That's only in this round, from the QFs onwards it's just luck.

[Sharado]

I'm just relieved it's not a 1230 kick off.

Fuck knows what's going to happen here. We're the maddest side about aren't we so it could happen, or we could get battered, or it could be a tepid 0-0 job. Just hope whatever happens the lads show a bit of pride and give the travelling reds a decent trip.....to istanbul.

[gazzalfc]

We're winning 4-0

[FlashGordon]

That's only in this round, from the QFs onwards it's just luck.

Yeah that's true. So you get the advantage in the first round and then it's the luck of the draw from there.

[MonsLibpool]

0-0.

No chance. We will score but I don't see us keeping a clean sheet.

[has gone odd]

Well, by my feeble and somewhat sketchy recollection, this season we have played utter shite away when in the white kit. Since RM will be white I guess we use our 3rd kit. Based on all this nonsense we win! But who knows, hope we put in a good shift regardless, about the only game left this season that may generate some excitement. Shows how spoiled we have been in recent times

[Knight]

I'm of the opposite mindset, the best thing that could have happened for us to try and advance on Wednesday was a loss at Bournemouth. Lots of talk of complacency from players, manager and fans. Hopefully that was the kick up the arse they need to prevail tomorrow.

Yeah I think that's right. They were sure to be complacent going into an away leg in the CL 3 goals down against our European bogey team. If we hadn't lost to Bournemouth they'd have been expecting to overturn that in their sleep.

[RedSamba]

If it was a second game at Anfield I would have agreed it is possible to pull it off. Now, I'm just hoping we put a shift in and avoid a defeat

[hide5seek]

Keep it down to 3/4 lads.
We don't want to be to embarrassed.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

4-0 easy win

Salah 3. Virgil.

Real Madrid have two players sent off for looking a bit weird.

[tubby]

Real Madrid have two players sent off for looking a bit weird.

Which two are likeliest candidates for this?

[JackWard33]

I wonder if we’ll want it more than them or not

[FlashGordon]

Yeah I think that's right. They were sure to be complacent going into an away leg in the CL 3 goals down against our European bogey team. If we hadn't lost to Bournemouth they'd have been expecting to overturn that in their sleep.

Well I'd rather they threw the stinker in against Bournemouth than tomorrow.

[Ghost Town]

Got my hotel booked for the final

[Wolverine]

We are hopeless away from home, just please don't get embarrassed and lose 10-2 on aggregate and become a meme.

[tubby]

We are hopeless away from home, just please don't get embarrassed and lose 10-2 on aggregate and become a meme.

That's the spirit.

[BigCDump]

7-0 against Utd and 4-0 against Real, pissing both sets of fans right off would do for me this season*. Then we go again properly next season.

*Top 4 too obviously.

[So… Howard Philips]

That's the spirit.

He’s hopelessly devoted to misery.

[Sheer Magnetism]

I've come to terms with the fact this team will always do the opposite of what I expect. And since I expect Real's midfield to run rings around ours and play out a comfortable 2-0 win, they'll probably do the opposite and pull off an amazing comeback win. But if I expect that to happen, they'll probably go against expectations and do exactly what I expect for once.

[FlashingBlade]

Come home with your shields or on them.

[tubby]

Head says we go one up with an early blitz but then they dig in and we struggle to break through for the rest of the match and they pick us off on the counter towards the end of the game.

Heart says we go one up and then we go two up and then we go three up.  And then Robertson lashes one in from 30 yards with his right foot in the dying minutes to take us through.

[NarutoReds]

Good news, Luis Díaz is expected to return to training with his teammates this week.

Bad news, it's Real fookin Madrid.

In the spirit of Roy Hodgson, I truly wish we could do the impossible.

[jckliew]

Where's Divock?

[NarutoReds]

Alexander-Arnold: "We're going to have to go and do something special in Spain, to be honest."

"But, you know, it's one of them where it's similar to the Barcelona game where we kind of go over there with nothing to lose."

"They are the one with a three-goal lead and you know if we come out of there and we don't win then OK, we were three goals down, it is what it is."

"So we don't feel any pressure".

[amir87]

Got my hotel booked for the final

Hope you've got the breakfast included this time. Sick and tired of walking miles just to grab a tea and croissant.

[Suareznumber7]

Which Liverpool will show up?  The one that crushed Man Utd or the one we saw this past weekend?

[Schmidt]

It's a tough one really, if we go out there and press like animals we could have some success, but Real will adapt and start playing around it. If we're a bit more restrained and look to hit them on the break, they'll just slow the pace right down and we'll go out with a whimper.

Either way I think we need to put out a team with an emphasis on tactical discipline, as the defence will need all the help it can get. Unfortunately I think Bajcetic playing the full game against Bournemouth suggests he won't play here, and I'm not sure who else plays that won't leave gaps to exploit. I want to say let's gamble and give Melo a start but more likely we go with a pressing 4-3-3 and get taken apart.

[A Red Abroad]

Come home with your shields or on them.