Jurgen Klopp plays down Champions League comeback for Liverpool

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Jurgen Klopp has admitted that a comeback against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League is not guaranteed despite Liverpool’s historic second-leg wins in Europe in recent years.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s clash with Los Blancos via the Daily Mail, with Liverpool currently 3-1 down, the Reds manager claimed that the reigning Premier League champions know that a comeback result isn’t a certainty this evening. Only if playing to the best of their abilities will the Merseyside giants be able to overturn a two-goal deficit against Zinedine Zidane’s side.

Liverpool have been the victors in some astonishing comebacks in European football in the past few years; most famously against Barcelona where Klopp’s side overturned a 3-0 loss in the first-leg of the 2018/19 Champions League to win 4-0 at Anfield, with the Reds going on to win the competition that year.

Yet when asked about comebacks, Klopp admitted there is no guarantee one will happen this evening. The Liverpool boss said: “We will see [on overturning the result. Some of the boys were involved in these games [against Dortmund and Barcelona]. You cannot take it for granted, you never should and could.

“You don’t get a comeback because you had a comeback in the past. You have to play really good football in the present. The best situation is when you’re not in a situation when you need a comeback. But the situation is clear and that’s why this competition is so interesting because you have rules like the away goals and it makes it really exciting.”

TBR View: Klopp is right, but past comebacks will fuel players to get a result over Real Madrid

There is no doubt that Klopp’s words echo plenty of truths. Football is a game where no result or victor is guaranteed. Yet, as we have seen in the past, European nights at Anfield awaken something in Liverpool players, and we could well see that again this evening.

Barcelona in 2018/19, as well as Borussia Dortmund in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League, will always be remembered as some of the best games and comebacks in modern European football.

With a handful of current Liverpool players featuring in both matches, the energy, motivation and experience will be there this evening to overturn the 3-1 result against Real Madrid.