A soup mug not a cauldron: Liverpool have nothing to fear from Atletico
Liverpool are going to Madrid to face Atletico in the Champions League on Wednesday, but they shouldn’t fear the side. This is why.
There was a time when sides feared what Diego Simeone would send out against them. The Vicente Calderon was a fearsome place to try and play, it was even harder to get a result.
But Atletico have moved to the Wanda Metropolitano and the cauldron has become a soup mug as Madrid have been reduced to a shadow of their former self.
Everything they can do, Liverpool can do better. Physically intimidate players and grind out 1-0 wins? Jurgen Klopp has Virgil van Dijk at the back and Fabinho in the middle for that sort of thing, plus the gaffer can call on James Milner if required.
Use flair to outwit and bamboozle and spin defenders so far into the ground they hit water? Well, Liverpool have got that covered too. Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah are at your service.
Get full-backs up and down the field to swing crosses towards drooling forwards, lurking about the box in the hope some juicy scraps fall their way? I think we can all agree that Trent Alexander-Arnold is a better Kieran Trippier than Keiran Tripper will ever be.
No Champions League game will be walk in the park, especially in the knock-out stages. Except for Porto, but try to be kind about them. But this one is certainly winnable and everything about the Reds suggests they will turn up with their serious faces on and turn over and organized but slightly limited side.
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Norwich was just the warm up. This is the real thing and you can be sure the boys will be raring to go. With only 10 wins this season, Atletico have struggled to put the final nail in the coffin. You can be sure that Liverpool won’t have that problem.