Jurgen Klopp expecting a ‘proper Champions League’ tie against Real Madrid

Jurgen Klopp is expecting a “proper Champions League” tie when his Liverpool team take on reigning champions Real Madrid in a repeat of last season’s final in Paris.

The Liverpool manager, who led his team to Champions League glory in 2019 after losing the previous season’s final, also to Real Madrid, now has to prepare his team for a revenge mission against the Spanish champions in the last-16 of this season’s competition. The Anfield club were also knocked out of the competition - at the quarter-final stage - against the Spanish club in 2021.

“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,” explained Klopp following Monday’s draw.

“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.”

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Liverpool will host Carlo Ancelotti’s team in the first leg on February 21st, before heading for the Spanish capital on March 15th.

“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,” added the German. “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.”

Liverpool won their first three meetings with Real Madrid in Europe’s elite club competition, but since a 4-0 win in Anfield in 2009, they’ve drawn one and lost five of their last six meetings. Between the two clubs they’ve won the competition on 20 occasions.

Klopp’s team however have made a slow start to the season and their immediate attention will be on improving on their current position of eighth in the Premier League.