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| Real Madrid players will have to dig deep against Liverpool in the absence of their skipper Sergio Ramos. (Photo credit: Sky Sports) |
"Revenge, redemption and Ramos" is how you can subtitle this clash of Euro giants, who have lifted the trophy a combined 19 times and are well acquainted (from six matches, there have been three wins apiece, two finals split evenly and, when they have fought recently, an abundance of goals.
Revenge? Well that's exclusively Liverpool’s and you know why
except you just started watching football.
The last time the sides met was the 2018 Champions League final in Kiev and Jurgen Klopp's Reds saw red.
Mohammed Salah was carted off
injured after being run over by Sergio Ramos, then concussed goalkeeper
Loris Karius gifted Madrid two goals to hand Zinedine Zidane his
third-straight UCL title.
Revenge, no matter how often it is denied as a concept, is a spur, and both teams' seasons need redemption.
Madrid are still in contention for La Liga but their title defence has been pock-marked by ugly, unpredictable defeats.
Liverpool always desire this trophy but, sitting sixth in the Premier League as this tie kicks off, they now require it.
And Madrid captain Ramos. Injured, again. Not present to torment Liverpool, or to inspire his own club. Out of contract in June, not certain to stay.
Might this tie, if Madrid are eliminated, prematurely end his love affair
with the Champions League?
Where does Real Madrid stand?
Their
name has been etched on this trophy four times in the last six years, but along
the way, not just this season against Inter and Borussia Monchengladbach,
there have been near disasters, impossible rescues and football-escapology of
the grandest kind.
Remember Dortmund and Atletico in 2014? Wolfsburg and
Atletico (again) two years later? Bayern Munich in 2017 or Juventus 12
months after that? Examples all of brinksmanship extraordinaire… They always
find a way.
Madrid are addicted to conquering Europe and, should they knock
Liverpool out, this vitamin of absolute dedication to lifting the trophy will
undoubtedly have nourished them.
But, in playing terms, they won't win this tie unless three
compartments of their magic box are working fluidly: Striker Karim
BenzemaThibaut Courtois and that immense midfield of Luka Modric –
Casemiro – Toni Kroos. In other words: "Score, save and mesmerize."
Where does Liverpool stand?
Liverpool
slightly resemble Barcelona, in that injuries have forced them to look
inward to solve problems they didn't have a clue they were going to suffer.
Just as the Catalans have been elevated from the mire by
youngsters like Pedri, Ronald Araujo and the likes, Klopp has found
in-house sustenance from competition debutants Nat Phillips, Rhys
Williams, Curtis Jones etc.
Average age 20, but 18 Champions League appearances between them
this season.
Throw in Kostas Ozan Kabak sharing the load in their first season at Anfield and you'd be forgiven for branding this "all change."
But the same old elements of flying wing-backs, hostile pressing,
lightning counter-attacks and the Sadio Mane – Roberto Firminho – Mohammed
Salah trident remain Liverpool's DNA.
Key players
There will, in such an historic tie, inevitably be a jack-in-the-box player who excels like Divock Origi or Gini Wijnaldum (who popped up for Liverpool against Barca in 2019).
Or how substitute Gareth Bale and Ferland Mendy did for Madrid in, respectively, that 2018 final and the last-16 first leg against Atalanta this season.
But the principal threats favour Liverpool. First, when they muster up that hurricane-football that has trademarked Klopp's reign, it is precisely what this slightly-ageing, one-paced Madrid hate.
Second, Liverpool's principal
strength is devastating forward play and combinations, which directly threaten
a Madrid backline missing warriors in Ramos and Dani Carvajal.
That Klopp incorporated the prolific, and now fully fit, Diogo
Jota alongside the star trio in a 4-2-3-1 formation whilst destroying Arsenal 3-0
at the weekend is ominous and Real Madrid should be worried.
Nor is Zidane averse to tactical tinkering.
Frankly, his experiments with 3-5-2 look ill-advised.
But if he does employ that system
against Liverpool, it will require Marcelo (still ultra-talented and
eccentric, but in decline) to absolutely excel and to make better positional
judgements than normal.
The key five for Spain’s champions are Courtois, who has been
at or near his very best form this term; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, who can take
a game away from the best opponents because, technical skills aside, they live
and breathe the winning mentality; and Benzema, who not only has 11 goals in
his last 10 matches, but the effervescence of his play, his invention, vision
and technical skills are sheer magic to watch.
On form he can win this tie. Madrid, were they to lose him, would
be lost.
Prediction:
Like Rafa Benitez said this week: "I don't see a clear favourite."
Madrid can win and it is to their advantage they won't face the coliseum atmosphere of a full, rabidly loyal Anfield.
Liverpool seem to be back to their
form and may drag the record champions by their missing captain’s beards, pace
aplenty, trickery in full gear… It’s the game of the season by all standards.
