Rafa Benitez sends inspirational message to Liverpool…

Rafa Benitez sends inspirational message to Liverpool ahead of Real Madrid

Rafa Benitez has not given up all hope of Liverpool staging the mother-of-all-comebacks in the Champions League on Wednesday, insisting "miracles can occur".

The Reds will take on Real Madrid in the Spanish capital having lost their Round of 16 first leg match 5-2 against Carlo Ancelotti's side at Anfield.

It leaves Jurgen Klopp's players with the daunting task of scoring at least three times without reply in the regulation 90 minutes, just to force extra time, but former Reds boss Benitez knows all about coming back from three goals down in the competition.

Writing in a column for The Times, he said: "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.

"Remembering the Champions League final in Istanbul in 2005, my message at half-time was that if we can score the next goal then we would be back in the game. That happened, of course. Liverpool wiped out a three-goal disadvantage and Carlo Ancelotti’s AC Milan were on the receiving end of a comeback that led to us winning on penalties.

"Now this tie is at “half-time” again, it is Real who have a 5-2 advantage, Carlo is the coach standing in Liverpool’s way once more and, I am pretty sure, Jürgen Klopp’s team-talk will be about the importance of scoring first. The main difference is that now they have 90 minutes to turn the result around and win outright, or take it to extra time. Real have home advantage, but the fact that the away goals rule is no longer applicable is one small positive for Liverpool.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'."

Benitez wrote his name into Anfield folklore when his Liverpool side lifted the fifth European Cup in the club's history after beating Ancelotti's AC Milan side on penalties. In one of the most storied matches in world football, the Reds found themselves 3-0 down at half-time in Istanbul before staging a stunning second-half comeback where they would score three times in six minutes to level the tie, before going on to win it on spot-kicks.

With that experience in mind, Benitez believes that the current Liverpool team can still cause an upset in the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, but being clinical in front of goal when the opportunity presents itself will be absolutely key.

Benitez noted: "Liverpool must keep the intensity high because we saw during the game at Anfield that in the opening exchanges, they caused plenty of problems. They led 2-0 after 14 minutes and could have been further ahead. Every chance is crucial and it is why managers talk about the need to be clinical and ruthless in front of goal.

"In the games Liverpool have played against Real in recent years, they have always had chances but not always taken them. That has been key, especially if you think back to the final in Paris in May. Real supporters will not be thinking, “it doesn’t matter, we are through.” Ajax won 4-1 at the Bernabéu in 2019 to knock them out and Chelsea were 3-0 up last season and set to progress until late goals from Rodrygo and Karim Benzema. If Liverpool score twice, the whole stadium will be worried."

Real Madrid's heaviest defeat in the Champions League was a 4-0 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield under Benitez at the same stage of the competition in 2009. That scoreline would be enough to take the Reds through on Wednesday evening and it is for that reason that the former Reds' boss remains optimistic despite the odds being stacked against Klopp's side.

Benitez added: "No one expected that outcome on that night and it shows why Liverpool can travel with some hope."

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