Former Liverpool forward Micheal Owen saluted Real Madrid after they played the official club anthem of the English side “You’ll Never Walk Alone” following the expiration of their 1-0 victory over the Merseyside based club.
A tap in from Karim Benzema 12 minutes before full time assisted Real Madrid to qualify for the quarter-finals after a 5-2 hammering of Liverpool in the first leg at Anfield.
It was lovely and peculiar moment at the end of the encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu as Real Madrid played “You’ll Never Work Alone” on the amplifier as a way of appreciating fans of Liverpool.
Real Madrid showed their appreciation of the English side, for the way they offered support to the club after the death of the honorary president of Real Madrid, Amancio Amaro before the clash at Anfield.
Carlo Ancelotti speaking after the match said: “They honored Amancio in the first leg and it’s a fair gesture from our club towards them.”
Fans of Real Madrid were seen clapping for Liverpool faithfuls as a signal to show their appreciation.
However, after the clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, Jurgen Klopp stated that Liverpool face a daunting task to get back in the UEFA Champions League.
It appears that it might be the expiration of an era for Liverpool after Real Madrid served Liverpool their highest ever aggregate defeat in the UEFA Champions League.
They lost in the first leg by 5-2 to Real Madrid and a Karim Benzema’s late finish condemned the side to another 1-0 loss at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Pointers indicate that if Liverpool continue on their current abysmal run, they wouldn’t be in next season’s champions league campaign except they improve.
Jurgen Klopp’s statements after the game against Real Madrid
Klopp speaking after the game said: “We prepared for a special performance but we were not able to put it out on the pitch tonight. It was obvious. Nobody is thinking, ‘how did Liverpool go out?'”
He further stated that: “With the history we have in this competition we start usually with the idea of winning it.
“It is the competition and we want to be part of it every year and that is now a massive task for us.
“We come back from the international break and we have a proper football week ahead of us with three games – City, Chelsea, Arsenal – which will then probably define where we get out of it. This week is a pretty decisive one.
“Our job is to squeeze everything out of this season. It is clear we want to be top four.”
Former Liverpool center back Jamie Carragher also claimed that Trent Alexander Arnold “needs serious competition” at right back if the Reds are to constantly make it to the UEFA Champions League.
He asserted that “we all know his defending is not good enough”.
Arnold who has been a mainstay in Jurgen Klopp’s success at Merseyside was absolutely poor on the night against Real Madrid as he continued his abysmal showing defensively.
Jamie Carragher on Trent Alexander Arnold
Carragher speaking with CBS Sports said: “It’s very, very worrying, Not just for Liverpool as a team, but for him. And what I mean by that is, this can’t continue, what’s happened this season and the amount of times he’s been lacking defensively.
“The problem they’ve got in that position is, they’ve never had real competition for Trent Alexander-Arnold. And one of the reasons for that is because he’s been so good. You’re then thinking “Who do you buy?”. How much do you spend for someone who’s not really going to play every week?
“I think Liverpool are at the point now where they have got to go buy a right-back. It’s Jurgen Klopp’s decision how good that right-back is, how much he costs, but that lad needs serious competition. He’s been playing now at the top level every season, week in week out with no rest.
“He’s won everything, he’s been fantastic and he’s done everything I could ever dream of. I’m so proud of him, a local lad coming through the ranks. But he needs help. At the end of this season, he needs to have a long think about where he is as a right-back.
The legend of Liverpool maintained that Arnold is suffering from Liverpool’s poor form this campaign which has led Arnold to be more involved with defensive duties rather than his favored attacking role.
Carragher added:
“I’ve always defended him because he plays for one of the best teams in the world. So you do a lot more attacking than you do defending. We all know his defending is not good enough. And I don’t think it’ll ever be good enough.
“We’re talking about a player who has played 260 games – it’s not going to massively improve.
“When Liverpool drop off and aren’t one of the best teams in Europe, then you’re doing more defending and less attacking. We’re seeing the worst traits of Trent and not his strengths going forward. And that is a massive problem.
“I thought this problem would rear its head when Klopp left, and Liverpool went back to how they played when I was a player, where most seasons we were trying to qualify for top four. But if Liverpool are trying to qualify for the Champions League on a yearly basis, I am not sure Trent is your man at right back.
“If Liverpool go back to being one of the best teams in Europe, which they will try to do next season, he is your man. But right now the lad needs help.”
Back to the reason why Real Madrid played the “You’ll Never Work Alone” anthem at Anfield, the reason is not far fetched as it was because Liverpool laid flowers to pay homage to the honorary president of Real Madrid who passed away before the first leg clash.
