Attempting to get Liverpool followers to criticise Jurgen Klopp is a activity akin to drawing blood out of a stone, and for superb motive.
Over the course of eight-and-a-half years in cost, the German dragged the Reds from the doldrums to claiming each trophy out there and, at one level between 2019 and 2020, to being arguably the perfect crew on this planet.
He additionally struck up a robust emotional bond with a bunch of supporters who’ve at all times requested that of their supervisor.
Nonetheless, for all that he achieved, if there’s one blot on Klopp’s copybook that even essentially the most ardent Kopite couldn’t ignore, it’s certainly his file towards Actual Madrid. In six clashes with the La Liga giants throughout his time at Anfield, Liverpool did not win a sport, drawing one and shedding the opposite 5. And essentially the most galling side of that paltry return is definitely that two of these losses got here in Champions League finals.
That file means it’s now, actually, 15 years since Liverpool’s final win over Actual Madrid, which got here within the final 16 of the Champions League throughout Rafael Benitez’s tenure. Again then, even after shedding the primary leg 1-0 on the Santiago Bernabeu, Actual arrived on Merseyside bullish about their prospects of reaching the subsequent spherical – the Spanish sports activities every day, MARCA, infamously emblazoned the headline ‘Esto Es Anfield. Y Que?’ (This Is Anfield. And What?) throughout their entrance web page.
Madrid ended up being thrashed 4-0.
Sadly for Liverpool, Madrid have averted underestimating their opponents in that means ever since, even when Klopp did all the pieces he may to try to trick them into doing so.
As Thomas Tuchel as soon as stated of his compatriot: “ Klopp is the grasp of being the underdog. He can discuss you into being the underdog towards Villarreal and towards Benfica and it is a miracle how they even draw towards them.”
However within the 2022 Champions League ultimate assembly between these two golf equipment, Madrid have been in a position to supply up the right counter to that motivational tactic: possessing ample confidence to reject the underdog tag themselves all whereas being able to taking part in like one.
Liverpool rained down 24 photographs on their opponents’ aim in Paris, with 9 of these forcing saves from the impenetrable Thibaut Courtois. Madrid, in the meantime, managed simply 4 makes an attempt, and got here away with the trophy because of the one a kind of that hit the goal.
Nonetheless, Europe’s most profitable crew are removed from one-dimensional, and their dominance of this rivalry owes a lot to a capability to seek out alternative ways to inflict defeat on Liverpool relying on the circumstances.
Take, for instance, the 2018 ultimate in Kyiv, which noticed a vastly superior and extra skilled Madrid facet emphasise the gulf in high quality and nous by merely taking part in round Klopp’s gegenpress with ease.
And in fact, nearly all of Madrid’s wins within the intervening years have adopted this sample, relatively than the rope-a-dope strategy Ancelotti leaned on in 2022.
So, clearly, one thing needed to change for Liverpool to lastly get one over on their bogey crew and, whereas no fan would’ve chosen a Klopp departure, there’s each chance that Arne Slot’s arrival may very well be decisive.
The Dutchman has a superb early likelihood to go the place his predecessor couldn’t at Anfield on Wednesday, not least as a result of his crew are in glorious kind – Sunday’s 3-2 win over Southampton taking them eight factors clear on the high of the Premier League – and an injury-hit Madrid are decidedly not.
What’s extra, he has already proven indicators that he would possibly strategy such a sport in a very completely different means, as seems to be mandatory. For starters, Liverpool gained’t be wherever close to as reliant on Madrid falling into their urgent traps on condition that Slot’s use of that tactic is much much less outstanding.
Secondly, it additionally appears that the brand new supervisor is a bit more comfy with the concept of his crew going into such video games as favourites. Requested in October whether or not his gamers would possibly get carried away with their lofty place on the high of the Premier League, he merely replied: “We’re Liverpool, gamers listed here are used to being high of the desk.”
In fact, as a lot as Slot’s variations may show to be a optimistic, he’ll do nicely to surpass the file of a supervisor who reached 4 European finals in his eight-and-a-half years at Liverpool. However victory over the 15-time Champions Leage winners will surely be a superb begin on that entrance, and finish a hoodoo that ensured Klopp’s trophy return was not fairly what it may have been.
