Champions League last 16 draw Monday 7th Nov 11am

[Insidious]

And no doubt the two remaining in the competition will play each other, while City get a bye to the final.

It's interesting how "manageable" some of the potential quarter-final match-ups could be.

Let's say we DID get past Real Madrid, by hook or by crook.

Club Brugge v Benfica
Milan v Tottenham
Frankfurt v Napoli
Dortmund v Chelsea
Internazionale v Porto

- Although several of the winners of these would provide a stern test, I think I'd back us over two legs against any of them, even if a couple of them were nail-biters and the margin of victory small. Much as any side can lose to anyone, in terms of having belief in us (particularly with lads back for injury and the power of Anfield) I'd ask -

Could we beat Club Brugge? Yes.
Could we beat Benfica? Yes.
Could we beat Milan? Yes.
Could we beat Tottenham? Physical and cagey affair, narrowly contested - but yes.
Could we beat Frankfurt? Yes.
Could we beat Napoli? A close-run thing and they'd worry me, but yes, we could.
Could we beat Dortmund? Yes.
Could we beat Chelsea? Similar story to Tottenham potentially - but yes.
Could we beat Inter? Yes.
Could we beat Porto? Yes.

I'd back us against any of those 10 sides, even though I'd be nervous against a number of them, which is no surprise given how exciting/tense football is at the top level.

The sides that would concern me most are -

Real Madrid
Man City
Bayern Munich
PSG

If we did beat Real Madrid and reach the quarter-finals then two of those four sides are gone. That alone is a pretty exciting prospect.

[justincredible]

Absolutely amazing stat from the 2019 CL final against Spurs....

https://twitter.com/thisisanfield/status/1593297917493796868

[Steveo]

Very interesting - However the stats for the game suggest we were poor on the day. Without that extremely soft penalty right at the start of the game... I don't want to think about what might have happened.

The stats suggest we were comprehensively outplayed.
[IMG][/IMG]

[Insidious]

Absolutely amazing stat from the 2019 CL final against Spurs....

https://twitter.com/thisisanfield/status/1593297917493796868

That IS mad.

I mean, the front three you'd expect started - Firmino, Salah, Mane.

The back line you'd expect started - Robbo, Van Dijk, Matip, Trent.

Midfield was Wijnaldum, Fabinho and Henderson. You'd think it must be a permutation such as a certain player always being rotated in other games.when it was the Wijnaldum, Milner and Henderson midfield instead.

I know it will have been thoroughly fact-checked but it's (almost) unbelievable that stat, given how consistent we were with certain aspects of our line-up at the time.

[justincredible]

That IS mad.

I mean, the front three you'd expect started - Firmino, Salah, Mane.

The back line you'd expect started - Robbo, Van Dijk, Matip, Trent.

Midfield was Wijnaldum, Fabinho and Henderson. You'd think it must be a permutation such as a certain player always being rotated in other games.when it was the Wijnaldum, Milner and Henderson midfield instead.

I know it will have been thoroughly fact-checked but it's (almost) unbelievable that stat, given how consistent we were with certain aspects of our line-up at the time.

I know, that is the team we all would literally pick on our match day formation for most games throughout that season....

[teesred]

I've never actually watched that final in full again. An utterly emotionally draining and unmemorable game. I don't remember Spurs being that much better but if I rewatched it it might look different.

[Insidious]

I don't want to think about what might have happened.

Me neither - I'd have missed out on a belter evening - lass I was dating at the time bought new lingerie for that weekend and promised a "bloody good time" in the event of us winning the game and boy did she deliver

The match itself was discussed on local radio the next day as being awful for the neutral - and it wasn't a great spectacle as a Liverpool fan - though the elation of Origi's goal (we absolutely knew we had won) was definitely a 60 seconds or so you'd love to bottle as we had been through so much as a fanbase since the win in 04/05.

[dicko1969]

0-2
THE stat.

[jozza800]

Me neither - I'd have missed out on a belter evening - lass I was dating at the time bought new lingerie for that weekend and promised a "bloody good time" in the event of us winning the game and boy did she deliver

The match itself was discussed on local radio the next day as being awful for the neutral - and it wasn't a great spectacle as a Liverpool fan - though the elation of Origi's goal (we absolutely knew we had won) was definitely a 60 seconds or so you'd love to bottle as we had been through so much as a fanbase since the win in 04/05.

This place is quickly turning into 'Sid's Sordid Confessions...'!

[Steveo]

I've never actually watched that final in full again. An utterly emotionally draining and unmemorable game. I don't remember Spurs being that much better but if I rewatched it it might look different.

We were poor, but we were so desperate to put right the defeat to Real...we got that soft pen and hung onto it. We played like a lower league team against a title candidate in truth. The UEFA stats are kind too - all others give Spurs 65% of the ball and almost 3 times as many completed passes. Alisson making 8 saves - Loris.. just the 1.

Make no mistake we were hanging on for a long long time, Thoughts of Klopp's final record spinning through the minds of millions of Reds...Origi the saviour in the end because I am pretty confident Spurs would have got a goal back. Then we would have been in the mire. Thank the good lord for that penalty and Poch's crazy decision to play an unfit Kane.

I have watched it back a few times since.. on the night I just remember the game taking what seemed like 300 minutes to play out. Torture