Another Liverpool vs. Real Madrid match that went south for the Reds, as it often does. It almost appears like Klopp and his team head to Madrid to ask them to reveal their already known shortcomings in the most harsh way possible. To see how they could keep losing to the same team, to be honest, is exhausting.
The game presented a plethora of narratives and views to consider on the shambolic midfield and non-existent defense. That was practically an eye opener that wasn’t required because all of the vulnerabilities were previously known; Real Madrid merely made them seem much worse.
The Reds were mocked throughout the game because of how clueless they appeared. Nothing is more humiliating than blowing a two-goal lead and then trailing by three.
The largest and most obvious reason why Madrid thoroughly exposed Liverpool was a lack of connectivity between the defense and front lines. Simply put, the midfield was not up to scratch.
At the same time, Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield was absolutely magnificent, completely dominating the Reds. Ironically, the older players made up the superior midfield that night.
It was made clear to Klopp’s team that their biggest vulnerability was once again being taken advantage of mercilessly.
The defense was also non-existent. The 5 goal humiliation might have been avoided if the players had been a little bit more observant, which is what one would expect after playing the same group of players over and over again for so many years.
And do you know what makes the game funnier? Ancelotti’s statements a few weeks back when he admitted they hadn’t prepared at all for Liverpool. It now explains why they did it since there was no reason to. As harsh it may seem, Klopp’s tactics have become too commonplace and prone to being easily exploited.
The second leg looms, and remembering what happened a few years ago against Barcelona inspires optimism but the quality of players and their performances splinters it.
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One thing is certain: Liverpool will not be able to use the same methods at the Bernabeu. There must be a change, maybe a major one. To recap, they must overcome a three-goal deficit while keeping the margin from expanding any higher.