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

[Raid]

MATCH PREVIEW – Real Madrid C.F vs Liverpool FC
Aggregate score - 5-2

Date – 15/03/2023
Kick off - 8.00pm
TV - BT Sport

Officials


Referee
Felix Zwayer GER

Assistant referees
Stefan Lupp GER
Marco Achmüller GER

Fourth official
Sven Jablonski GER

Video Assistant Referee
Marco Fritz GER

Assistant Video Assistant Referee
Christian Dingert GER

Match Preview

Liverpool travel to Madrid trailing 5-2 from the first leg at Anfield, a dispiriting night having led 2-0 in front of a raucous crowd early on. If there is any football club that can climb a mountain like the one Jurgen Klopp and the players are facing on Wednesday night, then surely it's our beloved one. So in the event that you have any doubt as to whether it might be possible, here's a little trip down the European memory lane to remind you that with this football club, the impossible can very much become the possible.

Liverpool's greatest European comebacks

Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona (4-3 on aggregate) Champions League semi-finals 2018/19





Unfortunate to find themselves 3-0 down from the first leg, the Reds problems mounted with the loss of Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah ahead of the second leg. With a makeshift front three of Shaqiri-Origi-Mane, Liverpool embarked on the most remarkable of comebacks, Origi setting the tone with an early goal to light the touch paper, before a quick fire brace from Gini Wijnaldum drew the Reds level. Then came perhaps what is now the most famous corner routine of all time and rest as they say is history.

Liverpool 4-3 Borussia Dortmund (5-4 on aggregate) Europa League quarter-finals 2015/16



The night that the Klopp era truly exploded and a quite frankly ludicrous turnaround that only Liverpool Football Club are capable of. A very credible 1-1 draw in Dortmund very quickly unravelled as the Reds found themselves 2-0 down within ten minutes at Anfield. 0-2 became 1-2, then 1-3, leaving the Reds requiring three goals in the final thirty minutes to find a way through. The picture paints it better than I ever could.

Liverpool 3-1 Olympiakos - Champions League Group Stage 2004/05



Oh you beauty. Steven Gerrard with a famous trademark rescue act which lead to one of the most iconic commentary lines of all time. And it also lead to this...

Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan - Champions League Final 2005



The greatest comeback in football history. 3-0 down against one of the finest sides ever assembled, the Reds stormed back in six second half minutes before landing our first European Cup in 21 years on penalties.

I could go on with many, many more, but you get the gist. With Liverpool Football Club, it's not over until it's over in this wonderful competition. It will arguably require a triumph which would equal or better those listed above, but if any club can produce it against the odds, I'd be backing ours.

It's the hope that gets you as they say. I'll leave you with one last image to whet the appetite. Up the Reds!

[kezzy]

Great OP.  We need to just win the game to break the hold these fuckers have over us.  As much as I’d love us to perform a miracle and win 4 nil, let’s be honest after Saturdays shitshow we aren’t going to Madrid and winning by four goals so let’s just put on a performance that wins us the game and stops these twats from beating us every time.  Come on the redmen. 

[Saus76]

Well if you were a neutral and you had to pick one team to overturn this result then it would be Liverpool.

Let's throw the fucking kitchen sink at these c*unts!

[oojason]

^ from the reddit/liverpool


Or just win 4-0 

[lfcthekop]

For some reason, i have a sneaky feeling we will win 4-0.. call me mad i know, but we are liverpool and no matter how shit we are playing, you can never write us off in the european cup

Make us dream redmen!

[alonsoisared]

Looking on the bright side, now the away goal rule's been scrapped we only need 3 to take it to extra time...

I've had a funny feeling we might pull it off over the last week or two. It is a strange position for Madrid to be in, maybe they won't be quite sure how to approach it whereas we know we just have to come out all guns blazing and go for it. Stick an early goal in and you never know.

My realistic prediction is it'll be a bit of a Chelsea 09 kind of game. We are good enough to make a game of it and I can well imagine that at some point Madrid will find themselves slightly worried. But ultimately we don't tend to defend well enough as a team to deny golden chances and Madrid are the most ruthless team in Europe if you give them anything like a look in. Wouldn't be surprised to see us get a goal or two ahead but end up still well beaten over the two legs.

Let's see though. We are a wildly inconsistent, unpredictable outfit at the moment but we are still capable of the dizzying heights when we turn up. As we showed against United. When we're capable of those highs then form isn't all that important. If the Liverpool of a week ago turns up we are capable of pulling off probably the maddest comeback in the knockout stage of the competition. If the Liverpool we've seen for most of the season turns up we'll be doing very well to keep the deficit down to three.

It's worth dreaming though, isn't it? This manager and these players have achieved the improbable more than once.

[rob1966]

For some reason, i have a sneaky feeling we will win 4-0.. call me mad i know, but we are liverpool and no matter how shit we are playing, you can never write us off in the european cup

Make us dream redmen!

I've been saying for two weeks we're knocking these out. Dunno why, just feel we will

[Samie]

We won;t win the tie but let's try and win the game at least.

[FLRed67]

1- 4 and we go through on penalties.

They should be fresh and well rested, not having played a competitive match since United.

[Fromola]

It's a free hit and we don't play at the weekend so just make sure we leave nothing on the pitch.

If we go out we go out but I don't want to see us well beaten, outplayed or going through the motions in any way. I just want us to give Real Madrid a difficult 90 minutes and see what happens.

[zamagiure]

Keep it tight, 1 goal first half, then go for it second half.

[andy07]

We will win this, the only uncertainty is whether we win by enough.  Go in one up at half time and we have a chance.  Will be interesting how Real set up for this.

[TepidT2O]

The performance matters more than the result…

Getting through the tie is a hell of an ask even at our tip top peak…. 


Playing well and asking them questions is what we need to do… at least then give ourselves the chance

[Ski]

I’m not ready to stop believing.

[deano2727]

Well, it's a free hit of sorts. Grab an early goal and put them under pressure.

If Madrid have a 4/10 game and we have a 9/10 game it's possible I suppose. Scoring 3 is definitely worth a bet, but I can't see us keeping a clean sheet.

[tubby]

Get the first goal and go from there.

[4pool]

Do the impossible. 

[UntouchableLuis]

2-6 to us.

[Saus76]

The performance matters more than the result…

Getting through the tie is a hell of an ask even at our tip top peak…. 


Playing well and asking them questions is what we need to do… at least then give ourselves the chance

It's a knockout competition- result is everything. Even moreso in this case.

[stoa]

Getting the first goal will be vital. From then it can go either way. Could be a repeat of the first leg, could be a performance like against Man United with us not necessarily scoring 7 goals, but enough to go through or to extra-time... Most importantly, until the ref blows the final whistle we're not out.

[Rob Dylan]

They usually start slowly and being three up they might be a bit complacent - if we turn up (a big if at the moment) and score early it could be interesting, the problem is I just don't see us stopping them from scoring, however well we play.

[lgvkarlos]

Any chance of getting big Div back on a one day loan?

[fowlermagic]

If we were at home maybe but away at their place its going to be a stretch. Surely if we can at least show a bit of pride and win away from home it be a boost of confidence to a team who are scared of their shadows on their travels.

Real have lost big a couple of times in the last season or two against Barcelona. Chelsea scared them at their place last season as they thought it was all over after beating Chelsea 3-1 away. So there is a chance if our lads for once can play to their potential away from home. The odds must be crazy though as we are 70-1 to win the CL.

[MH41]

I have thought about this, and I hope they have talked through all possible scenarios, and how to react to them. I mean, I'd love an early goal from us, but if Real get the first goal, or a goal anytime in the match, I hope their reaction is not "game over", but "ok, we'll get 4 etc" No away goal rule may help us here (unless we go out on pens, after winning 6-3)

On another point, with the removal of the away goals rule, what now is the purpose of ET in the 2nd leg? It's hardly fair on the away team to have to play an extra 30 minutes away from home? Why not go straight to penalties after 180 mins?

[stoa]

So there is a chance if our lads for once can play to their potential away from home. The odds must be crazy though as we are 70-1 to win the CL.

Just had a look. 5 Euros on us winning the tie and then winning the CL would get you almost 6K in return. If I didn't have to create an account first, I'd put a tenner on it...

[MBL?]

I’d take any sort of win. We aren’t going through here ladies and gents. I’d love one of those big comebacks and we might get that feeling if we start well but going through here would top Istanbul on many levels.

[B0151?]

We got smashed by them at home and then smashed United 7-0 and then lost to Bournemouth. I don't think putting a good performance but going out does much for us really. May as well just completely go for it.

[Tokyoite]

I have no expectations for this sadly. Hopefully we just go out on a high.

[Solomon Grundy]

After Saturday's performance it wouldn't surprise me if we won this game.

[AndyMuller]

0-0.

[NarutoReds]

Looks impossible to win against Madrid this time. Impossible.

Let's be honest.

But if we win I will post a HD picture of my cock here.

[liverbloke]

thanks for the OP raid mate

...

On another point, with the removal of the away goals rule, what now is the purpose of ET in the 2nd leg? It's hardly fair on the away team to have to play an extra 30 minutes away from home? Why not go straight to penalties after 180 mins?

because the only fair way to draw who plays the legs in what order is to draw out of a hat - one team will have to play the second leg away there's nothing you can do about that

the old away goal rule was crap - what was the point having 'home' advantage if the away team had that rule in favour of them?

back to the game - as long as we don't concede then it's not impossible

1 goal against us we need 4, 2=5 etc etc

i would play to wind up as many of their 'diva' players as possible - go in hard (but fair) - be on the ref's back all game without being abusive - surround their better players as soon as they get the ball - they could just sit back and go through so press press press

thing is - the way things stand, we have nothing to lose in going out with a bang rather than a whimper

[HeartAndSoul]

I think if we’d have won against Bournemouth then you could have seen some proper momentum building but that defeat has knocked us back down a few pegs. Guess all we can do is score the first goal and hope they get nervous and take it from there. The fact our away record is absolutely awful this season doesn’t help either.

[Zlen]

I think we might win the game, don’t think we have a chance of going through though. 1-2 for Liverpool, a fair farewell to Champions League.

[Alan B'Stard]

I'd go with...

Becker
Trent
Konate
VVD
Robbo

Fab
Hendo
Bajetic

Nunez
Bobby
Mo

If we can get an early goal, we have them potentially rattled. Its how we then progress from there....

[DelTrotter]

Hopefully they play in first gear with the tie over and we can sneak a draw or narrow win. Like how our Benfica and Inter ties went last season when we'd wrapped it up in the first leg.

[rob1966]

I’d take any sort of win. We aren’t going through here ladies and gents. I’d love one of those big comebacks and we might get that feeling if we start well but going through here would top Istanbul on many levels.

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.

[FlashGordon]

I have thought about this, and I hope they have talked through all possible scenarios, and how to react to them. I mean, I'd love an early goal from us, but if Real get the first goal, or a goal anytime in the match, I hope their reaction is not "game over", but "ok, we'll get 4 etc" No away goal rule may help us here (unless we go out on pens, after winning 6-3)

On another point, with the removal of the away goals rule, what now is the purpose of ET in the 2nd leg? It's hardly fair on the away team to have to play an extra 30 minutes away from home? Why not go straight to penalties after 180 mins?

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?

[FlashGordon]

I think if we’d have won against Bournemouth then you could have seen some proper momentum building but that defeat has knocked us back down a few pegs. Guess all we can do is score the first goal and hope they get nervous and take it from there. The fact our away record is absolutely awful this season doesn’t help either.

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.

[amir87]

Would be the greatest shock of them all to turn this around.