Real Madrid have been warned they cannot afford to slack off against Liverpool, who will be “absolutely unleashed” at the Santiago Bernabeu.
That’s according to journalist Julio Maldonado, who says there is danger for the Spanish side in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 clash.
Real Madrid pulled off one of the results of the Champions League knockout stages when the two sides met in the first-leg at Anfield, with a stunning 5-2 victory that almost assured their progress to the quarter-finals.
They host Jurgen Klopp and his side in the second leg at the Bernabeu tomorrow looking to finish off the tie as they look to defend their crown.
For most the game is pretty much a done deal given the result in the first leg, with a three goal difference a difficult one for this Liverpool side to make up.
Liverpool, though, have a history of big comebacks in the Champions League and Maldonado believes Real Madrid need to be careful they’re not added to the Reds’ list of victims.
“Logically, Madrid, with a three-goal cushion, are really favourites: anything other than Madrid not going through will be a catastrophe,” he told COPE.
“Madrid have to think that they are a team that, unleashed, can do a lot of damage. Also, what Madrid need – and surely Ancelotti has done that – is to make the team aware that they have to go out thinking that there is no three-goal margin because otherwise it can get complicated.
“Against a team that has players like Darwin, like Salah, like Gakpo, like Fabinho – who is improving a lot – and where I’ve also seen the full-backs improve a lot, Madrid have to go out with a lot of concentration knowing that they have to win the game.
“They have to try to win the game, and if in the end they don’t manage to win it and it’s worth that three-goal margin, that’s fine.
“Liverpool are going to leave a lot of space, that’s obvious because they did it at Anfield. And they have to do it even more on Wednesday because Madrid have a three-goal cushion, so they have to attack from the start but I expect a game in which Liverpool will come out absolutely unleashed”.
