Reds desperate for Real miracle
ANFIELD: SEEK SALVATION FOR A DISAPPOINTING SEASON
In need of another famous Champions League fightback, Liverpool cannot rely on a wave of passion, colour and noise from the stands at Anfield to inspire a comeback from 3-1 down against Real Madrid tonight.
If the English champions are to reach the semifinals for the third time in four years, they will instead need their manager Juergen Klopp to conjure the motivation and tactical master plan to once again eliminate one of Spanish football’s giants.
Klopp has earned near Godlike status on Merseyside for delivering a sixth European Cup and a first league title for 30 years to Liverpool.
But the charismatic German has been unable to halt the Reds’ fall from grace this season.
It is already mathematically impossible for Liverpool to retain their title as they lie 22 points adrift of Manchester City in fifth.
Hopes the Champions League could prove the salvation of a disappointing season were also dashed as Real ran riot in the first 45 minutes in Madrid last week to open up a commanding first-leg lead.
Liverpool’s deficit is not as steep as when Barcelona visited two years ago in the semifinals, in what turned out to be arguably the greatest of all the memorable European nights at Anfield.
Depleted by injuries, Klopp’s men still rolled over Barca’s stellar cast of star names 4-0 on their way to winning the trophy.
But Klopp hinted that the task may be even greater now in front of the sterile atmosphere of an empty stadium due to coronavirus restrictions.
“If you want to have some emotional memories, then you watch the Barcelona game back and 80% of this game was the atmosphere in the stadium, so yes, we have to do it without that,” said Klopp after the first leg.
Liverpool can claim to have suffered more than most from an entire season behind closed doors and lost six consecutive games at Anfield for the first time after being unbeaten there in 68 games prior to January.
With Liverpool in need of goals, whoever Klopp puts his faith in alongside Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah in attack, needs to be clinical if their manager is to rediscover his midas touch.