The Anfield Wrap starts to look ahead to the week of Liverpool’s eighth European Cup Final filled with excitement, trepidation, joy. All the obvious stuff.
We work through all the feelings and get into the facts – how good our opponents are, what this means to Liverpool, what can be expected from the game and how it will be approached.
We also speak to the producer of the Mo Salah documentary screening this week on Channel 4. Tony Pastor has years of experience of documenting the brilliance of footballers but he has had to pull this one about Salah together quickly. He lets us know how good it will be on Channel 4 at 10pm on Tuesday.
Then we are back at it, back at The Reds and their brilliance. Can they punish any complacency from Real Madrid.
Neil Atkinson hosts and is joined by Sanj Shetty, Dan Morgan and belatedly by Stu Wright.
The Anfield Wrap is supported by Redsbet this year. Find their Champions League specials here but do remember to begambleaware.org
Thanks for multiplying the nerves already lads
I believe Real will sit back. BIG MISTAKE. They will try to hit us on the break and will get some success. I have been watching their games lately. When they play a half good team they will sit back and hit you on the break. Sometimes it works. Their last game was against Vilareal. Bale was unreal at the start and they went into a 2 goal lead. Vila started to press them but were a bit toothless. Real sat back and conceded 2 goals. They looked old and tired in the second half. The Score: 5-2 to Liverpool. You heard it hear first.
what is this podcast lads? whats the script with this?! who is that guy? FFS it all a bit flat 45 min in
well that marcelo is a cheatin bastard trying to get opposition players booked. we can beat these. they will target lovern and their dark arts. need a strong ref. bonkers game of course is going to happen. Up the Reds
mate, I’m proud of the team but we have got to win this European Cup. Were due. We have enough pain, Why do you want anymore?? The law of averages are in our favour and in our managers case too, We have to WIN this final.
It’s football, mate. And it is not in our control. There is an opponent on the pitch who can win this just as much as we can.
But your life wont change, regardless of the outcome. Your mood definitely, but that’s about it.
I enjoyed this podcast been waiting for something like this for a while. Most have been skirting round the surrounding issues rather than discussing the match.
I personally feel we will blitz them first half and then there may be a struggle. My only concern is we haven’t usually been that great straight after a couple of weeks rest. Hopefully won’t be a problem this time.
Lead then defend. Sounds like our best option!
Please tell your commentators that generally we refer to LFC as “we”. Very confusing when one of them was referring to LFC as “they” for the Hoffenheim game, and then “we” for the Real Madrid game.
Oh lads, come on, Real haven’t won THAT many EC’s by being relaxed and underestimating players. Think you’re really playing with fantasies here … If we WANT this, we’ll need to be better … simple as.
In answer to what Neil was asking himself, unfortunately I don’t think the feeling here (I live in Madrid) is one of needing to put on a show. They want the third consecutive European Cup and are a little less sniffy about how they get it than Barça would be. Liverpool fans here are, I think, generally less optimistic than the rest as we get constantly reminded of how many different ways to win that RM have.
It’s true that they don’t meet anyone remotely like us in La Liga, but it’s also true that we haven’t come up against anyone like them, either. My pet worry is that for all the talk of a vulnerable defence, they are undeniably quick back there, which partly negates our biggest threat.
I’ve seen Real Madrid get sliced through at the back time and time again this season in LaLiga and the CL by slower opponents than Liverpool. That wont just change like that in the final.
Nothing quick about their back if you come at them with the right firepower. They are vulnerable. More so than City.
Also true. I’m going to make your post my screensaver to get me through this week.
I understand the trepidation mate and it probably wont go away till the final whistle is blown in Kyiv. We havent won a major trophy in ages. None in this decade so far. And the fear of not winning the final seems to overweigh the confidence of actually making it over the line for many Reds.
What I know for sure is that Klopp will get our lads fired up and I have no doubt they will leave their hearts on that pitch. We simply have to see if it will be enough. But what I am certain of, is that nobody will be able to accuse these Reds players to not have given a 100% effort. Personally, that is all I, as a fan, can ask for.
Oh fuck it! We’ll win the thing! I’m sure, mate! ;-)
If I’m honest, I’m OK personally with the idea of losing to Real Madrid (no matter how crap that would feel in the immediate aftermath) precisely because they should be clear favourites in my opinion. If there’s a slight fear in my case, it’s more that our lads might succumb to nerves and not do themselves proper justice. That would be a massive shame, after all they’ve given us this season, yet also entirely understandable. If they can overcome the stage fright, then game on…
Oh, and re the four in midfield thing. That’s not a tactical move that’s been made with us in mind. That’s to get Isco’s genius on the pitch and, more to the point, to get Karim Benzema (who’s been shite for months) off it.
Favourite thing about that was Sanj saying goosed.