Jurgen Klopp says he cannot wait for his Liverpool side to take on Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16.
Liverpool and Real Madrid are two of the most successful clubs in European football history, and met in the Champions League final in Paris in last season’s showpiece, with the Spanish side winning 1-0 to win a 14th crown.
Since then, both Real Madrid and Liverpool have both been below their usual high standards, with Liverpool currently eighth in the Premier League, and while Los Blancos are still second in La Liga, they are eight points adrift of rivals and league leaders, Barcelona.
Liverpool have managed to win back-to-back league wins following their victories over Everton and Newcastle last week, and speaking ahead of the visit of the World and European Champions, Jurgen Klopp said he ‘can’t wait’ for the upcoming clashes.
“I can’t wait for the game,” he said at the pre-match press conference. “Going to the Bernabeu will be tough too. But who cares? It is the Champions League! One of the biggest games in the world. It will be a top game and I’m happy we can play now.
“Four weeks ago it would have been different, but life is all about timing. We need to play two super games to go through. We have to be at our best to stand a chance. For Real Madrid it is different – even if they don’t play their best they still stand a chance. That’s what is special about them.”
Klopp says that Liverpool’s recent victories have ‘massively’ helped the mood around the club.
“We need results. There is no shadow of a doubt,” he said. “Results-wise we were in a similar situation directly after the World Cup. We had two wins and it looked like maybe we were there. So we have to prove that point.
“But it looks different. We feel it, we see it. It helps the mood massively. From here we have to go.”
The final in Paris last May came against a backdrop of disturbing scenes and chaos outside the stadium, with ticketless Liverpool fans initially getting the blame.
A subsequent inquiry has cleared Liverpool and Real Madrid fans of any wrongdoing, laying the blame firmly at the feet of UEFA and French authorities, and Jurgen Klopp hopes that Real Madrid fans will be welcomed into the City of Liverpool and that people can ‘celebrate’ the occasion.
“I don’t think we needed the Paris game to make this a special game,” he said. “Nothing that happened around the Paris game was the responsibility of Real Madrid just as nothing about it was the responsibility of our people.
“But even if that game would not have happened, this would still be a massive game.
“Our people are football people. Real Madrid is in town. Celebrate this kind of event in the best possible way. I can’t wait for it as well – to just enjoy that.”
“Real Madrid fans should be welcomed in the best possible way,” he added. “Go out and enjoy the city – be in pubs and stuff like this. Enjoy your time here and come to one of the most historical football places in the world and enjoy yourselves.”
