Chris Sutton names key player who could help Liverpool complete historic comeback against Real Madrid
Liverpool will need to go all out to overturn a three-goal deficit when they lock horns with Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash on Wednesday (15 March).
Ahead of the encounter, BT Sport pundit Chris Sutton has identified Alisson as a key figure who could help the Reds complete a historic comeback at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Liverpool suffered a humiliating 5-2 defeat in front of their fans at Anfield when they faced Real Madrid in the first leg of the tie last month. That has left them needing a miracle to progress into the next round of the competition.
Although the task ahead is quite a gargantuan one for Jurgen Klopp's men, it would be far-fetched to write them off totally at this point.
Previewing today's highly anticipated clash with Real Madrid, Chris Sutton explained that the Reds' chances of staging a comeback will rely on Alisson's performance between the sticks as well as their defensive resilience.
The Englishman told the Football Daily Podcast:
“It’s highly unlikely but we know that Liverpool have talented players. We know they have periods in games when they can absolutely blitz teams. We know Alisson will have to play well, Liverpool will have to defend better than they have all season."
“There’s a lot of talk about their high line, and they’ve looked shaky, and the players have been off it. As I say, the pressure is off, nobody expects Liverpool to get a result, but they’ll know that it’s within them."
It is worth noting that Liverpool will need to beat Real Madrid by four or more goals to progress to the next round. Should they win by three goals, the away goal count rule will be applied and could lead to extra time if applicable.
Anything less than a three-goal win in 90 minutes will mean automatic elimination for Klopp's men.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp determined to go all out to win difficult game against Real Madrid
Klopp spoke to reporters at a press conference ahead of today's clash with Real Madrid. The tactician promised that his side will try to win the game and progress into the next round.
The German said.
"If there is only a one percent chance, I would like to give it a try. We are here to play an extremely strong opponent and try to win the game tomorrow. As difficult as it is, it’s probably possible – not likely, but possible and for that, we are here."
“Then we will see where it leads us to. That is pretty much all. We respect the competition too much, we respect the opponent too much to not look forward to this game tomorrow, to be honest."