Liverpool have large classes to be taught from a 5-2 defeat to new nemeses Actual Madrid, with an unattainable job going through them within the second leg.
Liverpool 2-5 Actual Madrid
Champions League Final 16 First Leg, AnfieldFebruary 21, 2023
Targets: Nunez 4′, Salah 14′; Vinicius Jr. 21′ 36′, Militao 47′, Benzema 55′ 67′
Klopp was proper about Actual
When discussing the opposition previous to this sport, Jurgen Klopp spoke about how Actual Madrid reply to the opposition having possibilities. How they reply to adversity inside video games.
Liverpool began properly however Actual weren’t fazed, backing up Klopp’s phrases pre-match.
“You can see on this sport how skilled Madrid is, how little they’re fussed when the opposite workforce has possibilities,” he stated of final 12 months’s ultimate.
“They don’t lose confidence in a single second. They know their likelihood will come. They defend collectively.
“That’s what you possibly can be taught from them, undoubtedly.”
Liverpool appeared very fussed as soon as Actual did begin getting possibilities, far too fussed, exhibiting there’s nonetheless lots for this Reds aspect to be taught.
One thing to take from a European night time
European nights at Anfield have had a well-known really feel to them below Klopp’s tenure. One in all ambiance, relentless soccer and massive performances – usually on either side.
It had been virtually 4 months because the final one, although: that 2-0 win towards Napoli at the beginning of November earlier than the prolonged break for the World Cup.
Though there’s at all times a break between the top of the group stage and the beginning of the knockouts, this felt like an particularly lengthy one, and Anfield was wanting to get issues underway.
The quantity was turned as much as the max, each in help of the workforce and towards UEFA, and when the sport began Actual didn’t know what hit them.
The guests didn’t take pleasure in a cushty spell of possession till the twentieth minute when Vinicius Jr. scored. A reminder that for all of the preliminary positives, these European video games are removed from simple.
In addition to studying from the dangerous stuff that adopted, Klopp and his workforce must keep in mind what it’s prefer to be the ‘outdated Liverpool’ in such a giant sport, as, for a second there, that they had it.
The gang beginning to file out with 10 minutes to go was certainly one of many indications that it wasn’t sustained.
A harsh lesson on one other stage for Bajcetic
For Liverpool’s new midfield wonderkid this was each one other stage to play on and one other stage in his improvement.
He was but to begin a Champions League sport for the membership, however swiftly felt like the best choice to face the would possibly of Madrid and their midfield directed by Luka Modric.
It was Bajcetic’s go below strain that led to the opening aim.
By the point the group shouted ‘man on’ he had already handed it out to the fitting and the assault started there and ended with Darwin Nunez‘s ridiculous flick.
Liverpool gamers believe when passing to him in the identical method they do when firing balls into Thiago, however forward of the third aim there was a contact of overconfidence as he became hassle and misplaced the ball.
Although this isn’t an excellent match to be making errors and studying classes, they are going to be discovered extra memorably on account of it being such an necessary sport.
You anticipate a participant as younger as Bajcetic to nonetheless be studying, although. The worrying factor for Liverpool was that extra skilled gamers have been additionally making errors…
Errors punished at this stage
It’s a phrase usually heard in soccer, no matter stated stage, and the extent doesn’t get a lot greater than this and the punishment for errors is swift.
Thibaut Courtois was the primary to expertise it, kneeing the ball clumsily into the trail of Mohamed Salah who was readily available to attain with obvious ease.
However Liverpool’s defence has been ropey this season and that uncertainty returned right here. For sure, it was punished.
Not a lot may very well be finished in regards to the first Vinicius Jr. aim, however the second got here from a string of careless play, culminating in Alisson kicking the ball towards his countryman earlier than watching it rebound into the online.
The third, from a Joe Gomez foul and an entire lack of marking on Eder Militao; the fourth from a deflection as Gomez turned his again on a shot.
The fifth after the ball was misplaced in midfield and by no means recovered, Bajcetic selecting to not carry Modric down.
It was as if any errors, wherever on the pitch they have been made, would result in a aim, and that’s how Actual ended up with 5 of them.
An unattainable ask towards Liverpool’s new nemesis
There was to be no revenge for final 12 months’s Champions League ultimate as Actual humiliated Liverpool on their very own patch, confirming their superiority.
Even with loads of time left within the sport, by no means thoughts the tie, Liverpool appeared at a loss as to how one can flip issues round.
Klopp has hassle beating Carlo Ancelotti sides, even when that Ancelotti aspect was Everton. The German has solely gained one of many final eight conferences between the 2.
It’s an enormous ask to defeat Ancelotti on even phrases.
It’s an enormous ask to defeat any Actual Madrid aspect in the identical circumstances, so it appears virtually unattainable to return again from this deficit.
