It could be the Wednesday of the home chases in the football Champions League. Liverpool have to make up a 1: 3 against Real Madrid in the quarter-final second leg (21:00), Borussia Dortmund also have to make up a 1: 2 at home against Manchester City. For Liverpool it is the last chance for the title, coach Jürgen Klopp is also trying his hand at being a psychologist. “We have to get ourselves in the mood to rediscover our faith (in us, note),” said the German. And: “We have nothing to lose.”
Liverpool have to catch up with a Spanish club for the third time in a row in the knockout phase of the Champions League. In 2019, the later title holder turned the semi-finals against FC Barcelona after 3-0 with a 4-0. In the second round of 2020, however, they failed at Atletico Madrid (0: 1, 2: 3 nV). Mohamed Salah’s goal in the first leg a week ago gives Liverpool at least a little hope. Jürgen Klopp’s team can also be optimistic about their current form. After the “black” February with four league defeats en suite, four wins in the last six games have recently been achieved.
Liverpool need goals to reach the semi-finals against the winners from FC Porto – Chelsea (first leg 0-2) – but not only that. There is one thing that needs to be done better, Klopp emphasized the day before the game. “Given the quality that Madrid has, we have to defend at our highest level. And we didn’t do that in the first leg,” said the 53-year-old.
Real are in top form, of course: 13 games unbeaten, six wins in a row, including the 2-1 win against FC Barcelona at the weekend, which increased their chances for the title. And goalgetter Karim Benzema hits like on an assembly line. In his most recent nine competitive appearances, he netted ten times, only in the Liverpool first leg the Frenchman went empty-handed. Benzema is facing another milestone at Anfield: With his 71st CL goal, he would overtake club legend Raul, who is fourth on the “eternal” top scorer list. Only Robert Lewandowski (73), Lionel Messi (120) and Cristiano Ronaldo (134) met more often.
However, Real coach Zinedine Zidane still has to provide some regular forces. Defender Lucas Vasquez injured himself against “Barca”, Raphael Varane is still missing due to Corona, Eden Hazard is not yet match-fit and Dani Carvajal and Sergio Ramos are still absent due to injuries. Ramos was also recently diagnosed with corona.
In the parallel game, Dortmund continue to hope for the first CL semi-final since 2013. “We are going into the game with full confidence and the belief that we have a chance. We are positive,” commented midfielder Thomas Delaney. The late winner of the Englishman Phil Foden (90th) could not take the confidence of BVB. “We have a chance of the Champions League semi-final – and we’ll see that in the second leg,” promised defense chief Mats Hummels.
The old hand could be missing like captain Marco Reus. “We have to wait and see for whom it is enough,” said coach Edin Terzic on Tuesday, referring to the remaining training sessions before the game. Both regulars had been replaced last Saturday at 3-2 over Stuttgart.
A success would bring BVB, wavering in the Bundesliga, into the semifinals either against Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich (first leg 3: 2) and consoled a little over the probably missed renewed Champions League qualification – not only athletically but also financially. The European Football Union (UEFA) is paying each of the four semi-finalists twelve million euros.
Much will depend on whether Erling Haaland ends his minor peat lull. The best Champions League shooter this season with ten goals has been unsuccessful since March 20. “We have to attack, it will be a brutally difficult task,” said Terzic. “So belief alone is not enough. We also need hard work.”
The English are not counting on a sure-fire success either. “It almost doesn’t matter what happened in the first game. You always have a chance in the second match. We want to show them that we didn’t come to Dortmund to defend. We want to assert our game and win,” said ManCity -Coach Josep Guardiola. With that the “Citizens” would also end their quarter-final misery, in this phase of the competition they were last three times in a row as favorites. “Now is the time for the next step. But nobody will give it to us. We have to earn it,” said Guardiola.
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