Topic: Champions League last 16 draw - Monday 7 November 11:00 GMT

[lionel_messias]

I don't think they are that good. There, I said it.

We just have to make sure we have energy in midfield and we have a fit squad.

Revisit in February, ridiculous amounts of water under the bridge until then, including new owners and new transfers possibly.

C'mon you Redmen, we are built for ties like this.

[Ghost Town]

True, but why do Everton always have a much easier draw?! They don't meet any of these.

[Garnier]

I don't think they are that good. There, I said it.

We just have to make sure we have energy in midfield and we have a fit squad.

Revisit in February, ridiculous amounts of water under the bridge until then, including new owners and new transfers possibly.

C'mon you Redmen, we are built for ties like this.

They didn't-look-that-good their way towards their hundredth european cup final last year, it's maddening.

Real were dead and buried about a billion times during the knockout stages

[PaulF]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMTPHiDcIyU

[stonecold_jpm]

Madrid battered by Barca last night, soundbites that there in the same boat as we are all old and past it. Vinicius Junior apart, they look old and tired. Modric and Kroos in particular were very poor, Camavinga still flatters to deceive which shows why Ancelotti still doesn't trust him, Rudiger still looks dodgy in a back 4 and Benzema's time looks almost up as well. Only Courtois once again saving them from an even worse thrashing. So it's looking like it's a 50/50 toss up right now and who wants it more on the 2 nights. Anfield first is probably better for us, if we can somehow get an early lead. There probably the only team we'll play in the next month who haven't got a more mobile midfield than ours if Ancelotti persists with Kroos and Modric!

[tubby]

They don't play anywhere near as expansive a game as we do, so their ageing midfielders don't have the same amount of open space to cover.  But I also think we can definitely get a goal or two against them, Darwin will cause havoc.

[JackWard33]

Madrid battered by Barca last night, soundbites that there in the same boat as we are all old and past it. Vinicius Junior apart, they look old and tired. Modric and Kroos in particular were very poor, Camavinga still flatters to deceive which shows why Ancelotti still doesn't trust him, Rudiger still looks dodgy in a back 4 and Benzema's time looks almost up as well. Only Courtois once again saving them from an even worse thrashing. So it's looking like it's a 50/50 toss up right now and who wants it more on the 2 nights. Anfield first is probably better for us, if we can somehow get an early lead. There probably the only team we'll play in the next month who haven't got a more mobile midfield than ours if Ancelotti persists with Kroos and Modric!

Tchouameni injured though
They're considerable favourites vs us sadly

[RedSamba]

We were talking shit about their aging midfield before the CL final too. How that turned out exactly?

[DelTrotter]

We were talking shit about their aging midfield before the CL final too. How that turned out exactly?

Their midfield looked shit and we dominated but couldn't score?

[lionel_messias]

I don't think they are that good. There, I said it.

We just have to make sure we have energy in midfield and we have a fit squad.

Revisit in February, ridiculous amounts of water under the bridge until then, including new owners and new transfers possibly.

C'mon you Redmen, we are built for ties like this.

Fuck, what happened to the me of November and what happened to Liverpool?

Madrid are not looking as good now, what a shame we have dived off a cliff. The thought of Jordan Henderson lining up for this match almost makes me feel sick atm.

[gazzalfc]

We play them tomorrow, even if its 8pm at Anfield with that 'Barcelona' crowd, we get soundly beaten home and away.

Luckily we dont play them tomorrow. We have time to work on the system, get players like Diaz, Jota, Bobby etc fit and firing.

[JackWard33]

Their midfield looked shit and we dominated but couldn't score?

Might be the most painful match I've watched us play ... there's some tough competition.. but the extent to which we dominated them and then lost to a freak goal has been airbrushed from football history

[JRed]

Madrid battered by Barca last night, soundbites that there in the same boat as we are all old and past it. Vinicius Junior apart, they look old and tired. Modric and Kroos in particular were very poor, Camavinga still flatters to deceive which shows why Ancelotti still doesn't trust him, Rudiger still looks dodgy in a back 4 and Benzema's time looks almost up as well. Only Courtois once again saving them from an even worse thrashing. So it's looking like it's a 50/50 toss up right now and who wants it more on the 2 nights. Anfield first is probably better for us, if we can somehow get an early lead. There probably the only team we'll play in the next month who haven't got a more mobile midfield than ours if Ancelotti persists with Kroos and Modric!

Could be a nice game of walking football then! We might just have a chance!

[Dim Glas]

We play them tomorrow, even if its 8pm at Anfield with that 'Barcelona' crowd, we get soundly beaten home and away.

Luckily we dont play them tomorrow. We have time to work on the system, get players like Diaz, Jota, Bobby etc fit and firing.

 Isn’t Diaz out till March at least? And Jota sometime in Feb, the chances of him being ready would be slim to none I suspect/

[Stockholm Syndrome]

Isn’t Diaz out till March at least? And Jota sometime in Feb, the chances of him being ready would be slim to none I suspect/

I thought it was the other way around, Jota march and Diaz February

But still yeah hard to see either being ready

[gazzalfc]

21st Feb we play Madrid with the return leg 15th March.

I think we see one of them back fully fit with the other ready for the bench for the 2nd leg.

Obviously means nothing if we cant fix the issues we already have. But we have time and matches for us to do that.

Madrid are very beatable and we can beat them. We just have a lot of work to do between now and then

[I've been a good boy]

They could be bottom of La Liga and I'd still be wary of them, they always seem to kick it up a notch in the Champions League.

[gazzalfc]

Klopp

"I don’t know exactly how long Diogo will be out for, but he looks really good," said Klopp. "He is out there on the pitch and doing a lot of stuff already but he will be out for another few weeks. In contention for the Champions League? From my point of view, yes."

[Wolverine]

Selling Casemiro was huge mistake by Madrid. He was always the glue that held their midfield and defence together, without him protecting the defence they look all over the place at back.

This is probably the most beatable they have been since we have been drawn to be faced against them in their Champions League era of dominance but what sucks us for is that we're playing the worst football we ever have in Klopp's time at the club.

[farawayred]

Selling Casemiro was huge mistake by Madrid. He was always the glue that held their midfield and defence together, without him protecting the defence they look all over the place at back.

This is probably the most beatable they have been since we have been drawn to be faced against them in their Champions League era of dominance but what sucks us for is that we're playing the worst football we ever have in Klopp's time at the club.

They've been there before with Makelele...

[stonecold_jpm]

Madrid lost again. Courtois missed the game after injuring his abductor muscle in the warm-up so could face a few weeks out. There off to play the World club tournament now next week followed by two La Liga games, so 4 games in a week basically before they play us at Anfield. Then face Atletico and Barcelona before the 2nd leg. That'll be tough all that on their old legs, which can only be good for us right now if we can somehow find our own way.

[BoRed]

Madrid lost again. Courtois missed the game after injuring his abductor muscle in the warm-up so could face a few weeks out. There off to play the World club tournament now next week followed by two La Liga games, so 4 games in a week basically before they play us at Anfield. Then face Atletico and Barcelona before the 2nd leg. That'll be tough all that on their old legs, which can only be good for us right now if we can somehow find our own way.

How do you mean four games in a week? They play Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, and then us on Tuesday. It's a busy fixture list, but pretty much a regular two games a week schedule.

I agree, though, that draw looks better by the day, just a shame we're shit as well.

[stonecold_jpm]

How do you mean four games in a week? They play Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, and then us on Tuesday. It's a busy fixture list, but pretty much a regular two games a week schedule.

I agree, though, that draw looks better by the day, just a shame we're shit as well.

Sorry didn’t realise their first game in the World club was Wednesday thought it was next weekend. Hopefully they pick up more injuries. As for the rest of the draw, it looks now like it’s the worst we’ve seen in years and the most open for anyone to win it.

[lionel_messias]

Madrid lost again. Courtois missed the game after injuring his abductor muscle in the warm-up so could face a few weeks out. There off to play the World club tournament now next week followed by two La Liga games, so 4 games in a week basically before they play us at Anfield. Then face Atletico and Barcelona before the 2nd leg. That'll be tough all that on their old legs, which can only be good for us right now if we can somehow find our own way.

Thank you for posting this. Football is not an easy or logical game sometimes. Seems like a Klopp kind of moment. If we can find some sellotape and horse placentas for our defenders then maybe, just maybe we can turn up the heat at Anfield. The fans will be up for it, of that we can be 1000% sure.

[Larse]

Make or break week coming up for us - We win our next two and we are back on course for top 4 + have a good chance of salvaging our season with a CL run.

Good time to bag a derby win and get our confidence back a little. I was actually devastated after the wolves game and I think the first time in the Klopp era that I wasnt optimistic about our future, but Klopps pre match comments, the game itself and Salahs interview after the game gave me a lot of believe.

[stonecold_jpm]

Aurelien Tchouameni and Toni Kroos will miss game vs Liverpool. Karim Benzema, available — travels with the squad. Big boost for us that their midfield being weakened.

[DelTrotter]

Would rather Kroos played, they looked poor in every CL tie last season until they got legs on the pitch.

Their fans have wanted a Modric, Camavinga, Ceballos midfield, I guess they're gonna see what it's like, hopefully bad!

[Clint Eastwood]

Would rather Kroos played, they looked poor in every CL tie last season until they got legs on the pitch.

Their fans have wanted a Modric, Camavinga, Ceballos midfield, I guess they're gonna see what it's like, hopefully bad!

Tchouameni not impressing? Another bullet dodged?

[newterp]

Tchouameni not impressing? Another bullet dodged?

No he's really good. But Carlo has a weird hang-up sometimes.