Liverpool-Real Madrid: A Kopite's View

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How stupid am I?

In order for you to answer that question, preferably on a postcard marked "Idiot", I need to take you back to the summer. It was a warm night (can you remember them?) and I was at 'The Coffee House' in Wavertree, trying to decide.

The options were right there, staring me in the face. They were taunting me, laughing at me.

Domestic success or European glory?

'Money doesn't grow on trees' is how the saying goes, but I can think of another one which is far more relevant to the average football fan. 'When you have to choose what Auto Cup Ticket Scheme to go for, you always end up making the wrong decision.'

Not quite as catchy I admit, but I think you can see where I'm going with this. I couldn't afford them both.

So I made a choice based on the information I had available at the time.

Can you remember what happened the last time you heard someone say that?!

As I slept on that fateful summer night I dreamt of the 1st March and the 30th May. I would be there, at Wembley, for the League and FA Cup Finals.

Obviously I was dreaming mainly about an FA Cup win. I was pointing and laughing at the 'eternal optimists' who would be there, complaining about the noise the Barcelona fans made after their team had beaten Inter Milan on the Wednesday.

“Rome,” I thought. “No chance of us going there again!”

Don't get me wrong, I wanted the team to do well in the Champions League, but I had to make a choice based on the inform...

I think you get the idea.

So, I'll ask you that question again.

How stupid am I?

It's not like you need any more evidence but I think it's appropriate to say that, in order to offset our eventual Cup losses and make a start at repairing my tattered Wembley dreams, I've been to two away games this season as well.

Wigan and Middlesbrough.

It's fair to say that you should avoid any extra-Season Ticket games I go to.

Avoid them as you would a dark alley which you have seen both Stig Tofting and Thomas Gravesen walk down immediately after a Denmark defeat.

I digress. Upwards and onwards to Madrid.

As sad as I am about not being at Anfield on Tuesday, I can't wait for the game.

When the draw was made Real Madrid were languishing behind Barcelona, a gap which eventually became as big as 12 points—while we were leading the Premiership and had beaten both of our closest rivals.

The fact that we now sit seven points behind United, while the team from the Spanish capital have risen to second place and lie just four points behind the Catalan club, highlights the difference in performance between the two since UEFA paired us together.

Despite recent form, Liverpool managed to leave the Santiago Bernabeu with a precious one goal lead.

To do so with an injured Fernando Torres and without Steven Gerrard starting the game simply made it better.

Benayoun, who I think has been fantastic since the beginning of December when he grabbed a vital goal against Blackburn at Ewood Park, again deputised for Gerrard brilliantly.

And to clarify, a deputy doesn't always need to fill the same position as his superior but does need to perform the same role. In the first leg, Benayoun's role was simple—he made a difference.

Surely that is the role our skipper so often takes on? So, as I say, he deputised brilliantly for Gerrard.

Alonso sprayed the ball around effortlessly while Fabio Aurelio, who assisted Yossi for Liverpool's goal, put in another fantastic performance.

Throughout February the Brazilian has been sensational, scoring a vital goal at Portsmouth, where he played in the centre of midfield, and setting up a couple of others including Torres' first against Chelsea.

Our back four were also rock solid and I can't remember any particularly hairy moments except a rocket from Arjen Robben.

Skrtel and Carragher, looked unbeatable but the whole team and the manager deserve praise for keeping a clean sheet against a team who had struck six past Real Betis in their previous game, all before half-time.

It was Liverpool's fifth shut-out in Champions League knock-out round away games under Benitez.

As we have played 11 such games in Europe's premier club competition, and have progressed to the next round on each of the previous four occasions, we should celebrate Rafa's tactical nous and be confident that we can finish the job off at Anfield.

However, I believe that Madrid made one massive mistake against Liverpool in the first leg.

They showed us too much respect.

By starting Gago, Diarra and Marcelo in midfield—two defensive midfielders and a full-back—they gave up the initiative before the game had even begun. Their bench contained Guti who came on, as well as Saviola, Sneijder and Van der Vaart, who didn't.

Whilst I berate Juande Ramos for showing the Reds too much respect, I don't want to be accused of showing a lack of respect to 'Los Merengues' (I learnt that on Football Manager).

I just know that, when I saw the Madrid line-up, I was happy to see a midfield containing one Dutchman, rather than three and I'm sure the team were too.

Perhaps 'respect' isn't quite the right word.

I know the Liverpool staff and players respect the Spaniards, their achievements demand that, but Benitez mustn't allow it to affect either his team-sheet or game-plan.

We must start on Tuesday as we did against Juventus in 2005. The intensity with which we played that night took the Italians by surprise and we were 2-0 up within 25 minutes. We started the semi-final home leg similarly that season too, and Luis Garcia's fourth minute goal ended up taking us to Istanbul.

We cannot afford to let Madrid settle, give them time on the ball or space with which to work it. I suspect we will see more than one Dutchman start at Anfield and we must hassle them relentlessly, knowing that a more attacking team will also provide us with opportunities to finish the game off.

I want Liverpool to, hope they can and think they will, win, but cannot guarantee the outcome.

What I can guarantee though is that Anfield will be bouncing whether Fernando Torres plays or not.

Can you imagine the noise in the Madrid derby this Saturday as 75,634 fans attempt to make a din which will lead to the defeat of Atletico?

The Spaniards are used to big crowds and loud noise but they have never in their entire history experienced the Anfield atmosphere.

If you are going to the game on Tuesday, appreciate seeing Real Madrid at Anfield but make such an atmosphere that will be talked about for years.

Make Madrid surrender.

But, before you get to the ground and if you walk up Utting Avenue, look out for a fella with 'Fowler' on the back of his shirt, a desperate look on his face, a cry of, “Any spares mate?” and have a heart.

I would really appreciate it!