"Miracles can occur" - Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez believes the Reds can overturn 3-goal deficit and knock Real Madrid out of the UCL

Rafael Benitez will have divided loyalties when Real Madrid and Liverpool face off in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 later today (15 March).

The Madrid-born coach was in charge of Liverpool from 2004 to 2010, where he won the 2005 UEFA Champions League final. He became emotionally tied to the club's fans during his stint on Merseyside and donated £96,000 to the Hillsborough Family Support Group shortly after his exit from Anfield.

He also shares deep ties with Los Blancos, where he spent eight years as a player in their youth set-up until 1981. The Spaniard started his coaching career at Real Madrid, taking charge of their development teams between 1986 and 1995, where he also spent a year as the senior team's assistant manager.

He finally became the senior team's head coach in the summer of 2015 but was sacked six months later. Speaking ahead of Real Madrid's encounter against Liverpool in Spain, he wrote in the Times (h/t LiverpoolWorld):

We wiped out a three-goal deficit in Istanbul against a Carlo Ancelotti side back in 2005. If Liverpool score first in the Bernabéu, it could happen again.

Read Rafa Benítez's full column here 👇 thetimes.co.uk/article/liverp…

"All hope is not lost - I should know [referring to Liverpool vs AC Milan 2005 UCL final]. Will it be very difficult for Liverpool to overturn Real Madrid’s lead and progress in the Champions League? Yes. Will it be impossible? No. Miracles can occur — as we know."

The Reds need to score at least thrice in Madrid after losing the first leg 5-2 at Anfield. Benitez's Reds beat AC Milan on penalties (3-3 A.E.T) in Istanbul in 2005 after trailing 3-0 at half-time.

Drawing inspiration from that night, Benitez added:

"Liverpool wiped out a three-goal lead and Carlo Ancelotti’s AC Milan were on the receiving end of a comeback. Now this tie is at 'half-time'gagain, it is Real who have a 5-2 advantage, Carlo is the coach standing in Liverpool’s way once more."

Benitez underlines 'small positive' for Liverpool in Real Madrid tie

According to Rafael Benitez, the away goal rule being wiped out from UEFA competitions is a small positive for the Reds against Real Madrid.

Benitez took the Reds to two UCL finals.

The former Chelsea manager wrote, via the aforementioned source:

"...the fact that the away goals rule is no longer applicable is one small positive for Liverpool. If I was to ask, ‘Can Liverpool score three times in the Bernabeu?’, then I think a lot of people would say, 'Yes'."

Manager Jurgen Klopp has faced Madrid five times as the Reds' manager. They have lost four and drawn one, and have never scored more than twice against them in one game.

They did, however, beat them by 4-0 (5-0 aggregate) in the second leg of the round-of-16 tie under Benitez in the 2008-09 season.