Fallen giants seek revival as Real Madrid, Liverpool battle again

LIVERPOOL’S last dance with Real Madrid ended in painful defeat, with Mohamed Salah's shoulder dislocated by Sergio Ramos dragging him to the ground and goalkeeper Loris Karius left apologising to his fans.

Yet Karius's two errors, which handed Madrid a 13th European triumph in the 2018 Champions League final, were also the start of a journey for Liverpool.

Karius was ruthlessly cast aside and Alisson Becker signed for a then world record fee for a goalkeeper.

A year later Liverpool were the ones hoisting the Champions League trophy after beating Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid. Last season, an even heavier burden was lifted when they were crowned English champions for the first time in 30 years.

But those highs have been followed by a fall from grace as Liverpool prepare to face Real again in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal in Madrid today.

Fortress Anfield has turned into a visitors' dream with fans absent because of the coronavirus pandemic.

After nearly four years without a home league defeat, Liverpool have lost six in a row for the first time in the club's history.

Jurgen Klopp's men are in a scrap just to make it into next season's Champions League via a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Injuries have taken their toll. Captain Jordan Henderson and centre-backs Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip will all miss both legs of the Real tie and are unlikely to play again this season.

The signings of Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota last summer were designed to build from a position of strength, but both have also missed a large part of the campaign through injury.

However, there could yet be a happy ending to a difficult season. Saturday's comprehensive 3-0 win at Arsenal was Liverpool's most complete performance of 2021.

Jota is back fit and firing, scoring six times in his last four games for club and country. Thiago is also starting to find his rhythm, helped by the return of Fabinho to midfield after months of deputising as a makeshift centre-back.