Topic: Liverpool vs Real Madrid

[Always_A_Red]

I dont understand why people are saying this is a job too far for us.

Real Madrid are fuck all.

We've said the same thing every time we've played them since 2009 and we've been beaten each time.

They are by no means the Real of a few years ago & I do believe we can beat them and get a result, but I'm pretty sure our manager and players wont be going into the match against the 13 time European champions, who currently sit top of La Liga thinking they are 'fuck all'. 

Therefore we should also treat the game with the respect it deserves and know we're in for a very hard battle & are big underdogs.

[Sharado]

We've said the same thing every time we've played them since 2009 and we've been beaten each time.

Dunno about that. In 2014 I fully expected them to beat us home and away, I mean fair fucks to anyone who didn't but they were light years ahead of us then. Kiev was a coin flip before Ramos did his thing and karius did his. Tomorrow....dunno really. But this isn't an exceptional Madrid side.

[B0151?]

We’ve had close to relegation form in the league for 3 months - the quality has been atrocious. The last time we looked capable of tearing a team to shreds like we did Barca, or even scored early? You’d have to go back to 2020. It’s going to take something unique.

This isn't strictly true. Only United and City have more points than us last 6 games. We have definitely improved since Kabak came in and Fab went back to midfield

[andy07]

Just hope we give it a Real go and none of this low intensity shite. Would rather we went down with all guns blazing rather than a tame surrender.

[B0151?]

This isn't strictly true. Only United and City have more points than us last 6 games.

Although I would agree with your wider point of course

[Big Dirk]

They are probably gonna score so we will need to score at least 4 to go through in 90 mins...Gini and Fab in the holding roll and play the Fab 4.....Liverpool 4 Madrid 1

[Barneylfc∗]

Although I would agree with your wider point of course

Are you living in cloud cookbook land?

[Always_A_Red]

Dunno about that. In 2014 I fully expected them to beat us home and away, I mean fair fucks to anyone who didn't but they were light years ahead of us then. Kiev was a coin flip before Ramos did his thing and karius did his. Tomorrow....dunno really. But this isn't an exceptional Madrid side.

No I get that, but they are sitting at the top of La Liga mate, so they are not 'fuck all' as the other poster suggested. They've got some exceptional players that can hurt us, as do we to them. As you say, im not sure how it will go tomorrow - i'm looking forward to it and I really hope we can do it. But if we do manage to go through, it'll be because we'll have had to conjure an unbelievable performance & it wont be because they are not an exceptional side.

[darragh85]

its not as big an ask as two years ago v Barcelona i guess if you compare the 2 situations. i know we were in better form back then  but we were 3-0 down to a team containing Messi and had to play the second leg without 2 key players. no one thought we had a hope in that game and expected Barcelona to at least score one. this time we have an away goal.

[PatriotScouser]

I just hope the players play with confidence and belief. That's all I ask.

My prediction is wild. I think we'll win 5-2 in extra time!!

[aggerdid]

Think we need everything to click tomorrow. 2-0 phillips and trent

[Bobinhood]

2-0

So do-able.

Very.

[Always_A_Red]

its not as big an ask as two years ago v Barcelona i guess if you compare the 2 situations. i know we were in better form back then  but we were 3-0 down to a team containing Messi and had to play the second leg without 2 key players. no one thought we had a hope in that game and expected Barcelona to at least score one. this time we have an away goal.

On the way out of the ground, one of their fans handed me his scarf and said they had travelled to pretty much every stadium in Europe watching Madrid play, and he had never experienced an atmosphere like we produced that night.

There is absolutely no chance that result would have happened without the fans. No chance.

Tomorrow, we only trail by 2 goals on paper, and yes we have an away goal, but i honestly believe our supporters are worth 1 or 2 goals a game in Europe.

Someone suggested we'll have to score 4 to win as they will score one - to do would take one of the best all time Liverpool results in European football, without fans. It's a big, big ask....but doable. I really cant wait.

[palimpsest]

I don't have it in me to think we won't win. I'll believe until the final whistle. Heck, I'll probably believe even after the final whistle, hoping for a divine intervention. I'll believe until I see some other captain, in some shirt other than Liverpool's lift Big Ears. I owe Jurgen that much.

[Eeyore]

On the way out of the ground, one of their fans handed me his scarf and said they had travelled to pretty much every stadium in Europe watching Madrid play, and he had never experienced an atmosphere like we produced that night.

There is absolutely no chance that result would have happened without the fans. No chance.

Tomorrow, we only trail by 2 goals on paper, and yes we have an away goal, but i honestly believe our supporters are worth 1 or 2 goals a game in Europe.

Someone suggested we'll have to score 4 to win as they will score one - to do would take one of the best all time Liverpool results in European football, without fans. It's a big, big ask....but doable. I really cant wait.

3-1 takes us to extra time. 0-0 after an hour still gives us a chance. We just have to right the wrongs of the first leg. There is a good reason Klopp has only lost one two legged European tie with us. Even that game against Atletico we totally dominated the 2nd leg.

The first leg was played in a training camp. The 2nd will be played in a ground in which we have great memories of overturning deficits.

The pressure is all on Madrid.

[bornandbRED]

No butterflies like CL butterflies.

Might be convinced we have no chance but it’s the hope that kills you - this game has still absolutely dominated my thoughts this past week.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

No butterflies like CL butterflies.

Might be convinced we have no chance but it’s the hope that kills you - this game has still absolutely dominated my thoughts this past week.

I used to love that.

Would Ria find out how to sort her life out? Would Ben find out about Leonard? And would Adam and Russel finally sort themselves out and get a job?

[Timbo's Goals]

Surely my eternal fave lone Kopite shout no matter how good a side it happens to be we're playing against. First heard it against the then World Champions Inter Milan in '65 and it opened my eyes as to what it really does mean to be a Red. The defiant innate scouseness of it never fails to charm.

" Come 'ead Reds, these are fuckin shite these"

 

Has often worked wonders over the years. Got a hunch it'll do so again tomorrow night. 

[kavah]

Do us proud lads - one for the manager - 

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Do your best, everything else is a bonus

[Ghost Town]

He said he was the worst midfielder to play the game, has a gimpy leg and looks like a nonce. Pass it on.

I don't think leg gimp or noncery are contagious...

[Ghost Town]

I don't have it in me to think we won't win. I'll believe until the final whistle. Heck, I'll probably believe even after the final whistle, hoping for a divine intervention. I'll believe until I see some other captain, in some shirt other than Liverpool's lift Big Ears. I owe Jurgen that much.

Well said. More posts like these, rather than those calling our players shite, would be nice.

(also, said it before but love your username; surprised the Mods haven't written over it... )

[redintweed]

Yep. If we had our first choice defence, I'd be confident of getting a 2-0 win. Madrid will score, and once they do it will kill the tie.

The most I ask is that the boys show some fight.

If we had our first choice defence, we probably wouldn't need to win 2-0....

But seriously, if you look at the players we had out for the Barca tie, no one really gave us a chance. I said it before the first game, but it all depends on how Kabak and Nat play. They need some help though. The midfield needs to put pressure on Kroos and Modric and not give them the time to pick those long balls and incisive passes.

It's doable, but one mistake and we are in bother....

[palimpsest]

(also, said it before but love your username; surprised the Mods haven't written over it... )

Please don't give them any ideas! 

[Gaz75]

I don't have it in me to think we won't win. I'll believe until the final whistle. Heck, I'll probably believe even after the final whistle, hoping for a divine intervention. I'll believe until I see some other captain, in some shirt other than Liverpool's lift Big Ears. I owe Jurgen that much.

Great post, excellent first line let's do this.

[jckliew]

It's impossible.

i said that in 2019

[Trendisnotdestiny]

Keep writing new chapters in your own stories lads, not re-reading great old stories of the past.
You'll Never Walk Alone

[thisyearisouryear]

This is the only way I know how to support the club - the more uphill the comeback task is, the higher is my gung-ho passion and optimism.

So with that, come one redmen - I really really need a win in life :/

[harleydanger]

I really struggle to see Gini as an ace anymore, unfortunately, and Curtis is more creative. Even Milner would be a better choice than Gini IMO

It's almost exactly the same as pre-Barca, Gini was lost, even Klopp thought so, then he comes on and scores 2

[kloppismydad]

Make Us Dream.

[keyop]

I will have to agree with you. Hopefully Gini proves us wrong because there is no way Klopp does not start Gini if he is fit. Please Gini, Barcelona is watching you. Put in one of your brilliant performance that we have not seen for a very long time.

The whole team has struggled at times this season and Gini shouldn't be singled out in a season where he had to carry our entire midfield for 5 months. He's one of those rare players that doesn't stand out over the 90 minutes, yet rarely puts a foot wrong - the classic 'dont know what you've got till its gone' player.

Against top midfielders we need someone like him due to his energy, his ability to look after the ball and shield it from others under pressure, and his big game experience. There is a reason he's played almost every game available under Klopp.

[NarutoReds]

Could learn something from Bayern game yesterday. I really thought they could go through after pressing PSG for most of the game, but still can afford only one goal.

[Knight]

The whole team has struggled at times this season and Gini shouldn't be singled out in a season where he had to carry our entire midfield for 5 months. He's one of those rare players that doesn't stand out over the 90 minutes, yet rarely puts a foot wrong - the classic 'dont know what you've got till its gone' player.

Against top midfielders we need someone like him due to his energy, his ability to look after the ball and shield it from others under pressure, and his big game experience. There is a reason he's played almost every game available under Klopp.

Gini is so obsessed with not putting a foot wrong that he doesn't put a foot right very often either. A total non entity when we've needed him to actually carry our midfield instead of being an observer.

[Zoomers]

We falter every time I get my hopes up for this season. So I shall do a magic trick and not have any hope for this game.

You can all thank me later.

[jepovic]

It's almost exactly the same as pre-Barca, Gini was lost, even Klopp thought so, then he comes on and scores 2

Yeah, that would be our Gini, the mystery man. Show absolutely nothing for months, then suddenly play like Zidane and make Modric look like a pub player. He's got that level in him. What has Gini played for us, 200 games? I still don't really get him. He's got bags of skill that he uses 10% of the time. Since Curtis seems to be out, I guess we have to pray that you are right.

[naYoRHa2b]

We can definitely get the two goals we need. It'll be a tough ask keeping a clean sheet but let's see!

[Red_Mist]

Can’t believe Dortmund was 5 years ago (to the day). Need to somehow summon the spirit of that night and the Barca night and Auxerre and St Etienne and Olympiacos and all the others when the stadium was full and unlikely comebacks were made possible, then likely (then sometimes improbable again!) before becoming reality. A tough ask without the supporters but Real Madrid are fully aware this morning that strange things can and do happen on that hallowed and sacred ground.

That bus welcome 5 years ago btw, stood at the scaffolding by the King Harry, was one of the maddest things I’ve ever had the privilege of seeing. Dortmund were cooked before they’d even got to the ground

[NarutoReds]

To cheer you all up a bit, lads...   

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/Ik-DhHJM8eo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/Ik-DhHJM8eo</a>

[keyop]

Gini is so obsessed with not putting a foot wrong that he doesn't put a foot right very often either. A total non entity when we've needed him to actually carry our midfield instead of being an observer.

That's harsh for a player that hasn't had Henderson or Fabinho next to him for most of the season. Which are the games where he hasn't he put a foot right? There's lots of critics of him this season with very little evidence to back it up. If you're using goal output, dribbling, or defence splitting passes as your criteria then you'll be disappointed. If you're using ball retention, ball recycling in transition, tackling, retaining rhythm, pressing, cutting out passing lanes and covering every blade of grass in midfield (i.e. the exact role Klopp has given him for 5 seasons), then you'll see what he brings and why he is picked so regularly. Players don't have to always have the ball at their feet to be performing their role well.

[harleydanger]

I reckon Klopp starts Naby and Thiago, he fucking loves a redemption story, and this has one written all over it.

But the problem we have, and our midfield can go toe to toe with theirs, is they’ll just sit back and whack it long at the Trent/Phillips channel all day long. Drop Fab back and we’ll lose the midfield.

It’s quite the tactical dilemma Klopp is facing.