Peter Crouch explains his fears about Liverpool’s upcoming Champions League clash

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Peter Crouch has been discussing his fears for Liverpool ahead of their upcoming Champions League second-leg clash against Atletico Madrid. 

The former Liverpool striker, who helped the Reds reach the 2007 Champions League final, was discussing his own experiences of a similar tie against Portuguese side Benfica in his Daily Mail column. 

Liverpool were defending champions and trailed 1-0 from the first-leg in Lisbon. Many expected the Reds to overturn that deficit at Anfield but they lost 2-0 and were dumped out at the last-16 stage. 

“I had heard all about the magic of Anfield but, on this particular occasion, the magic never worked. Benfica beat us 2-0 and our defence of the trophy we had won in Istanbul fizzled out. I recall that game as I can see similarities around next week’s visit of Atletico Madrid, who also come with a 1-0 lead.

“Of course, I make no apology for where my allegiances will be on Wednesday but Atletico leave me feeling uneasy, especially now that influential goalkeeper Alisson is out injured. Hopefully, Liverpool will rise to the challenge.

“To progress, though, they will need more than just the Anfield atmosphere.”

TBR’s View

There are undoubted parallels between that tie and this one. Benfica are certainly similar in style to Atletico, considering their danger to pounce on the break. 

Liverpool fans will, however, feel this current team is better prepared for such a fixture.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have been in sensational form for most of the 2019-20 campaign and it is just the last couple of weeks which have been difficult for the Reds. 

But the calibre of the Liverpool team is undoubtedly higher than the side Simao and Fabrizio Miccoli dumped out at Anfield 14 years ago. 

Considering the turnaround against Barcelona at Anfield last season, this Liverpool team should not be written off at any cost.