Despite Liverpool’s draw against Real Madrid in a rematch of the 2017 Champions League final, Jurgen Klopp is upbeat going into the elimination rounds.
Liverpool was matched with defending champion Madrid in the competition’s last-16 draw on Monday after they finished second in their European group, behind Napoli.
In the previous five seasons, Klopp’s team has lost two Champions League finals to Real Madrid, but the German is looking forward to two “special” encounters with Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
Jurgen Klopp’s comment
I know we have played Real Madrid in a couple of recent finals, but it is not so often that our two clubs have met in a two-legged tie, so now we can look forward to this happening,” Klopp told Liverpool’s website.
“Real’s European record is the best around. We know this. But we also know that ours is not too bad. On top of this, we know that we have Anfield and everyone knows what this means.
“It is a really good draw, a really exciting draw. The games themselves are still a few months away, but it does not take a great deal of imagination to think what the atmosphere will be like at both games.
“There is a lot of football to be played before this, of course, so we will focus on each game as it comes. But yes, this draw has given us something special to look forward to.”
Emilio Butragueno’s reaction to the fixture
As European champions, Madrid has defeated Liverpool in all three of their Champions League encounters, and former striker Emilio Butragueno thinks Ancelotti’s team will manage the strain of being the odds-on favorite.
“I think that for the world of football, it will be an exciting tie because of the history of the two clubs,” Butragueno said after the draw.
“They are a very strong rival, who have had a lot of stability in recent years with the same coach and with the same group of players, and that makes it very dangerous.
“At the same time, we are the champions, and we will naturally do everything possible to qualify and return to the draw for the quarter-finals.
“We fully trust our players, they have shown us what they are capable of in moments of maximum pressure.”
