Unless the spirit of Istanbul 2005 can be invoked, Liverpool’s rapid descent from quadruple chasing unit to Jekyll and Hyde outfit incapable of stringing together a sustained run of positive results is to be confirmed on Wednesday night at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Jurgen Klopp’s side need to score three or more goals without reply in order to overturn a 2-5 deficit from the first leg at Anfield a fortnight ago.
Real boss Carlo Ancelotti was in charge of the AC Milan side that raced to a 3-0 half time lead, only to implode to a second half Reds surge led by legendary skipper Steven Gerard. Ancelotti is much more street wiser than the chubby faced 45-year-old that was outwitted on that night of infamy. He goes into the title enamored by Los Blancos’ bulging Champions League trophy cabinet that includes the gong AC Milan won by beating Liverpool in the 2007 final.
Klopp is battling more than just dodgy form that saw his side fall 0-1 to Bournemouth six days after pummeling Manchester United 7-0 in the Premier League. Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League winning manager has not beaten the record 14-time European champions in his last seven encounters, a spell that includes losses in the 2018 and 2022 finals.
The 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005 and 2019 winners’ long time tormentor in chief, Karim Benzema, was rested for Los Blancos’ 3-1 victory over Espanyol in Liga Santander but should return to lead the line alongside Vinicius Junior, who followed up his title winning goal against the Kop in Paris with a first half Anfield brace. Mohamed Salah, whose 44 Champions League goals are a club record, will lead Liverpool’s hunt for goals together with Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo.
EPL champions Manchester City will be hoping to convert territorial supremacy into a result when they host German upstarts RB Leipzig on Tuesday night. Pep Guardiola’s side dominated first half proceedings at the Red Bull Arena, only to concede a Josko Gvardiol headed leveller after the breather. 1987 and 2004 titlists FC Porto host Inter Milan in Tuesday’s other game whereas Napoli defend a 2-0 advantage from the first leg at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night.
TUESDAY
FC Porto v Inter Milan,
Manchester City v RB Leipzig
WEDNESDAY
Real Madrid v Liverpool,
Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt