Virgil van Dijk has revealed the pain and anger Liverpool feel, at giving themselves an “impossible job” in their quest for Champions League redemption.
The Reds’ dream of returning to the final to right the wrongs of Paris are over, after a 5-2 mauling from last season’s conquerors Real Madrid...and their devastated squad knows it. But even as he bit down hard on the sour reality of that thought after the worst European defeat in Anfield history, van Dijk insisted he and his team mates must face up to the “hard reality” of their humiliation…and put it right.
“We were 2-0 up and we gave it away because of mistakes we made against Real Madrid - who punish you immediately. That is the hard reality,” he explained. “The only thing we can do in this case is watch it and make sure it doesn't happen in the next game we play, which is Crystal Palace. It sounds pretty easy but it isn't - but that's the hard reality."
