Jurgen Klopp may have been handed an advantage ahead of Saturday's Champions League final, as Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti admitted he was 'confident' about beating Liverpool.
The two sides meet in Paris to conclude the European calendar for this season, with Liverpool eager to seek revenge for their defeat at this stage back in 2017. And they head into the game as favourites, after coming on leaps and bounds since their first Champions League final under Klopp.
Despite being marked as the underdogs, Ancelotti has admitted that he has "confidence" ahead of Saturday's final, and even boldly admitted that Madrid don't lose on the big occasions. But Ancelotti's confidence has caught him out once before against Liverpool at this stage, and Klopp will be looking to add to the Italian's misery.
You may remember the Champions League final back in 2005, when Liverpool faced AC Milan in Istanbul. But if not, then here is a little refresher. In what is widely regarded as the greatest comeback in the competition's history, Liverpool came from 3-0 down to beat Milan on penalties, as Steven Gerrard once again rescued his beloved Reds.
Liverpool were almost written off before kick-off, as Milan were without doubt the best team in Europe at the time. The brilliance of Paolo Maldini, Kaka, Hernan Crespo, Clarence Seedorf, Andriy Shevchenko, Cafu and many others made Milan a force to be reckoned with.
And when Maldini put Milan ahead inside one minute, it looked as though the Italian giants would walk the final. And they should have, as they led 3-0 at the break, with Milan strolling about the pitch with an entitled sense of arrogance due to their undeniable quality.
Ancelotti was confident before the game, and he was probably calling for their name to be engraved on the trophy at half-time, but they were stunned. It's a brave game to be confident against Liverpool, and the Italian is playing a risky game 17 years later.
In his pre-match press conference, Ancelotti admitted: "I might get a bit worried tomorrow afternoon but you fight against those worries through the players because they are filling me with confidence." And the Italian made a bold claim about the club too.
Ancelotti added: "We know when Real Madrid play in finals, they win them." And that's true, they've won more European cups than any other side. But Madrid haven't been at their best ever since winning three Champions League's on the bounce between 2016 and 2018.
They've started to gain momentum, and ironically it is they that have recorded comeback after comeback this season. But this Liverpool team are a different breed to the one that Madrid faced back in 2018, when Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema punished an inexperienced Loris Karius in goal.
Back in 2018, Liverpool were starting to lay out their intentions under Klopp, but five years later they've been the finished article for a number of seasons. And Madrid have lost more matches during this Champions League campaign, than Liverpool have across all competitions this season.
It's a final, and anything can happen, and having faith in your squad is a sign of respect and courage for who you represent. But a manager as experienced as Ancelotti should know that it's a dangerous game to play, and sporting such an ego before a big occasion only offers a hungry Liverpool more bait to feed off.
