6 reasons why Liverpool can top their Champions League group
“The Champions League is back at Anfield!”“And the Champions League is back at Anfield!”, cried Clive Tyldesley, a United man through and through, when Liverpool returned to their favourite competition after a one-year hiatus in 2004-05. That day sparked a string of memorable European nights for the most storied English team to play the game. Memorable victories at the Camp Nou and the Bernabeu come to mind, along with that one magnificent night at Istanbul.This love-story ended in the 2009-10 season, triggering a streak of four dark, gloomy seasons in the red half of the Merseyside. And then Brendan Rodgers and his Merry Men came along, lighting up the Premier League with some wonderful, delightful attacking football, full of speed, zest and goals. Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and poor old Tottenham Hotspur, all suffered defeats at the hand of a team, which had nothing to lose.Now, in their first season in Europe in 5 years, the team is sure to play the same brand of vibrant, attacking football in the Champions League too. For they have nothing to lose.Grouped alongside Real Madrid, FC Basel and Ludogorets, a second place is the general consensus among fans and pundits alike, for the Reds. They can beat Ludogorets, they might beat Basel, but Madrid? Surely, beating the Los Blancos, the biggest team out there, is way beyond Liverpool’s reach. Or, is it? Let’s see. Here are six reasons why Liverpool can top their group in the Champions League this season.
#1 Anfield, the 12th man
No other stadium in Europe, except for maybe, Galatasaray’s Turk Telekom Arena and Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion can match Anfield as far as the loudness, electricity and atmosphere is concerned. The stadium literally gives me goose bumps, every time I witness a match there. And, I’m just a TV spectator. Away teams, however experienced and seasoned, are sure to be intimidated by what they’re going to see at Liverpool’s fortress.
Walking out to the “This is Anfield” banner with “You’ll Never Walk Alone” ringing in their ears, the stadium and its fans are sure to strike a fear factor in away teams. Legends of the game, including Alan Smith, Rio Ferdinand and Fabio Cannavaro have stated that there’s nothing like a night at Anfield, playing in front of The Kop. Nothing comes close.
Needless to say, the fans will give it their all to see their team across the line, when the going gets tough. Who can forget that night 10 years ago against Olympiakos? Or that nerve-wracking penalty shootout against Chelsea a few years later? Or last year’s match against Manchester City, which wasn’t even a European fixture? With the fans rallying for the team, the players get that something extra which spurs them on; that adrenaline rush that makes the full backs sprint across the length of the pitch in the 91st minute; that moment of genius which makes Steven Gerrard whack the ball to kingdom come with seconds left on the clock; that extra ounce of energy in their reserves to see the game, and the dreams of millions of fans through.
With their 12th man firmly behind them, there are no limits to what Liverpool can do at Anfield. Real Madrid knows this better than most teams – the last time they came to the Merseyside, they were steamrollered by a whopping 4-0 margin. All 9 points are possible for Liverpool at home, for when the wind is against them, they wouldn’t be walking alone.