Having had a 5 year absence from Competing with Europe’s elite in the Champions League, Liverpool returned to the European Stage on Tuesday. The 5-time champions welcomed the world renowned competition back to Anfield, through the Shankly gates, with open, familiar arms. Drawn with last years winners, Real Madrid and Swiss champions, FC Basel, Liverpool face incredibly fierce competition when battling it out to overcome this merciless group.
Liverpool: The Dark Horses
Despite having to oppose the ‘Galacticos’ of Madrid, the ‘Big Dogs’ of Switzerland, FC Basel and Ludogorets, Liverpool in my eyes are this years ‘Dark Horses’, in comparison to the likes of Madrid, Bayern and Barcelona, Liverpool are relatively pressure free which can only be beneficial. The Merseyside club thrive off the Champions League and the magic that comes with it.
What many a football fan seems to forget is that Liverpool are a big game club, in previous meetings the scousers have dismantled teams including Real Madrid and Barcelona with relative ease. Every team that visits Anfield on a European night not only have to deal with Liverpool’s persistent talismanic threats, but also the hostile atmosphere that the fanatical supporters create. An Away trip to Anfield is a rather daunting, frightening prospect, seeing the intimidating ‘This Is Anfield’ sign before entering the field of play to lock horns with the once European giants, Liverpool, not forgetting the ever present ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone” ringing around the Kop. Liverpool have a squad full of faces with previous Champions League experience, and none of which have been shy of big game involvement.
Although Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Bulgarians, Ludogorets was rather unconvincing, the Reds did show glimpses of real class and vasts amounts of potential. The young side Brendan Rodgers fielded were short of experience, yet showed huge determination when fighting back from an almost disappointing draw to clinch victory. Liverpool will be seeking to improve on this first performance and have proven to the football world that they can scrap out a sufficient result to see them start off their Champions League group stage with a well fought win, but if they’re to match a terrifying Real Madrid team, they must tighten up in both the defensive and midfield departments to stop the ever threatening Bale, Ronaldo and Kroos partnership.
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