Liverpool need to take advantage of Atletico Madrid’s wretched away form when the two sides meet in the Champions League.
Wednesday night promises to be a memorable spectacle at Anfield, as the two sides clash in the second leg of their last 16 tie.
The Reds were beaten 1-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano last month, leaving the defence of their European crown in a perilous position.
While Atletico are renowned for their brilliance as a defensive side, their recent away record suggests they are nothing to be scared of on Wednesday.
Diego Simeone’s men are without a win on their travels in their last six outings, losing four of those matches. On top of that, they have won just twice away from home since early October, a statistic which should give Liverpool real heart.
The La Liga giants don’t have to win the game, of course, but these statistics highlight a potential flaw, further suggesting that they are not the same team that reached the Champions League final in 2014 and 2016.
This isn’t the only reason to feel positive, however, with Liverpool remaining an unstoppable force at Anfield under Jurgen Klopp.
In the Premier League, their last defeat on home soil was against Crystal Palace in April 2017, while Klopp is yet to lose a home game at Anfield in Europe.
The German has also still never been knocked out of a Europan two-legged tie whilst in charge of the Reds, with their only losses coming in the group stages or in finals.
That is a quite staggering record, and while it could feasibly come to an end on Wednesday evening – Atletico will be tough to get past – it says a lot about Liverpool’s mental strength and ability to get over the finish line.
Even though they have it in them to defend for their lives, time waste and generally irritate those of a Reds persuasion inside Anfield, Simeone’s side, have shown that they are beatable on the road.
If Liverpool can find their top level, which admittedly hasn’t happened too often of late, Atletico could once again fall short away from home, in front of what should be a fervent Anfield.
The Reds must do everything they can to remind Atletico of their away day blues, and proave how difficult it is for opposition sides to visit Anfield.
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