Jurgen Klopp’s feeling is that Liverpool’s Champions League dreams are over after Real Madrid pulled off a dramatic 5-2 comeback victory in the first leg of the last 16.
A night that started with Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah scoring goals ended in the Reds’ worst home defeat in Europe.
Vinicius Junior’s defensive line was Madrid level at halftime. by Adair’s header Militao in the moments after the restart kept Liverpool from conceding a goal.
Karim Benzema added two to seal a 5-2 win and left Klopp’s side eyeing an early Champions League exit to the side that beat them nine months ago.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti Said he could not say that the round of 16 draw was over. He said: “I think Carlo thinks the draw is over. And I think it is the same now.”
“But in three weeks – that’s what it is in these periods – the closer you get to the game. the more chances we have And the less likely the tie will end.
“But tonight with the score 5-2, when you see the game They’re pretty good at counterattacking… We had to score three goals and take some risks. That might be a little difficult.”
“But actually it wasn’t in my mind. So we go there. i can say now and try and win this game
“If it’s possible or not now, I don’t know, but that’s what we’ll try. And then we’ll see each other.”
Liverpool will head to Spain in the second leg on March 15 following a humiliating defeat. became the first team in Champions League history to lead 2-0 and lose by three goals.
It was a result that shattered confidence in an already challenging season. But Klopp wants his players to focus on the positives.
“I see that people think that, understandable, but it’s not really allowed,” said the Liverpool boss.
“I told the boys directly after the game. So this is something different than what happened today. The result of the game is the opposite of what we wanted.
“We made mistakes around the goal, yes as well, and I said a few times that a defeat is a defeat if you don’t learn from it.
“If you don’t learn tonight that the start of the game was brilliant. And the way we play is we, in short, we want to be like that. And that’s what we have to do next. If we now allow only one game To influence us really stupid.
“We have a few days where we will make sure we take the right things out of this game.
“Yes, we have to improve. Massive third goal Massively first goal
“But we have to take the good stuff with us. It’s not good if we don’t do that.
“It’s a completely different game. (Saturday at Crystal Palace), but the intensity the effort we show football we play Almost everything is as if we want to see ourselves.
“So we have to make sure we keep it. I know 5-2 can be devastating. But I hope I make sure that doesn’t happen.”
A turnaround seems unlikely given the start at Anfield. But Ancelotti got his heart in last year’s Champions League semi-final against Manchester City.
“Obviously we weren’t expecting to start like we did, but at 2-0 I was thinking about City last year in the hopes that we could do the same. But it turned out better,” said the Madrid coach.
“They damage us on our left side. But as we got better offensively, we moved [Federico] Valverde a little bit in that dangerous direction. Then we defended better.