Liverpool v Atletico Madrid: Spanish football expert & LaLigaTV analyst Guillem Balague previews Champions League last-16 second leg
Spanish football expert & LaLigaTV analyst Guillem Balague talks to Sporting Life about Liverpool v Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16.
Although holders Liverpool head into the second leg trailing 1-0, Jurgen Klopp’s side will have enough to overcome Atletico by the necessary two clear goals according to Balague.
- Liverpool v Atletico Madrid preview
Balague is the expert on Spanish football, so who better than the LaLigaTV pundit to talk to us about whether Los Rojiblancos can finish the job at Anfield.
Liverpool may have seen their long unbeaten Premier League run ended, been knocked out of the FA Cup and lost the opening leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, all in the space of a fortnight, but their blip was halted by a narrow victory over Bournemouth on Saturday.
Balague expects Atletico to use the same game-plan that frustrated Liverpool during the sides’ first meeting, but for the Reds to find a way past Diego Simeone’s team and their resolute defence.
"I think Simeone knew that Liverpool struggle a bit more if teams defend deeply and really concentrated," LaLigaTV expert Balague told Sporting Life.
"I think in the Premier League, teams do defend deeply but they’re not as organised as Atletico Madrid.
"It was the perfect performance from Atletico in the first leg and they’ll be hoping for a repeat of that at Anfield."
The Anfield effect
"The atmosphere was fantastic at the Wanda Metropolitano in the first leg, but I kept saying to my Atletico Madrid friends to multiply that by two for Anfield. I'll be there and I'm really looking forward to it.
"My two favourite stories in football are to do with Anfield. One is [Chelsea manager] Jose Mourinho in the semi-finals of the Champions League against Liverpool in 2005.
"He noticed the electricity of Anfield as the team was warming up and he went to the changing room. On the blackboard he wrote 32 and stood by it.
"Players were coming back to get ready for the game and looking at him saying 'boss what's 32?' He replies, '32 is the points difference we've got with Liverpool - we're that much better than them. Forget about Anfield.'
"But still Anfield made a difference. I was there that day as well and the floor was trembling from an hour before the game - I'd never seen anything like it.
"And the other story is Avram Grant before a game with Chelsea. He heard Chelsea players talking about Anfield, so before the game he put Liverpool's XI on the board and number 9 - Anfield.
"Somebody laughed and said 'number 9 is not Anfield.' Avram Grant says, 'Is it not?' I thought it was the guy who scored the goals, who won the games, because all I heard from you all week is Anfield, Anfield. So is he not a player? Then forget about Anfield.'
"They also lost that game. Anfield is just a special place."
Who will go through and why?
"I think Liverpool will beat Atletico Madrid and score the goals necessary to go through. Even if they don't score in the first half, I think once they score one they're capable to go and score a second.
"Because once a goal has been conceded by Atletico they can't just play for penalties – they may do though I suppose.
"But Liverpool, when they start playing with that atmosphere, that dynamism, it’s almost impossible to stop."
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