Brendan Rodgers believes Liverpool must overcome the finest player and team in world football in Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid tonight but insisted the time for "whining and moaning" about his team's malaise is over.
Liverpool are engaged in a three-way fight for second place in their Champions League group, suffered their heaviest European home defeat against Carlo Ancelotti’s Group B leaders two weeks ago and arrived in Madrid after a 1-0 Premier League loss at Newcastle United on Saturday, their sixth defeat in all competitions this season.
By contrast, the European champions recorded their 11th successive victory with Saturday's 4-0 win over Granada, sit at the summit of La Liga and have Gareth Bale available after injury. Not even the presence of Daniel Sturridge on Liverpool's flight to Spain on Monday translated into a cause for optimism, with Rodgers claiming the injury-plagued striker travelled as a show of unity within the squad.
Yet despite Liverpool’s well-documented difficulties in dealing with the loss of Luis Suarez and integrating several new players including Mario Balotelli, the manager insists there will be no excuses for failing to rise to the occasion in Madrid.
Rodgers said: “It will take time [for new players to adapt] unfortunately, purely because of their ages and the adaptation needed, but I don’t want to keep talking about giving players time. You’ve got to focus on performance.
“There are many reasons why we are not at the level of the last 18 months but we’ve got to forget about whining and moaning and complaining and find the best way to get the intensity back in our game. When we get the intensity back in our pressing and passing I think we are a very good team.”
Best team
He added: “This is an opportunity as opposed to any threat. We are still very much in the hunt to qualify from the group. Real are arguably the best team in the world but we know we have some outstanding players and if we can find the intensity in our game of the last 18 months we can challenge anyone.”
Sturridge has not featured since August because of thigh and calf injuries and Rodgers said: “I’ve brought every player out to this game. It is a sign we are very much together. Everyone has travelled whether fit or injured. It is highly unlikely he’ll be fit.”
Ronaldo opened the scoring in Real’s comfortable 3-0 win at Anfield and registered his 17th league goal of the season against Granada, breaking a 79-year-old record for the most goals scored in the first 10 games of a Spanish league campaign in the process.
The 29-year-old is also one goal away from equalling Raul’s tally of 71 goals in the Champions League but Rodgers is under no illusions.
“We are also up against a very good team,” he said. “Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world . .. He has impressed now for a number of years and is playing with great confidence but he’d say himself it is about the team. Real have got some outstanding players – Benzema, Isco, Kroos, Modric and others. It is a team effort but certainly he is the catalyst and someone who loves his football. Let’s hope he doesn’t score too many more tomorrow.”
An advantage
Ancelotti, the Real coach, said Ronaldo’s form gives the European Cup holders an advantage entering every game but insists the Portugal international will not put the individual goalscoring record before the team’s requirements.
“When Cristiano plays it can be we are starting 1-0,” the manager said.
Bale has missed Real’s past five matches because of a muscle problem but returned to training on Sunday to add to Liverpool’s worries. It is coming up for two weeks since Real Madrid left their calling card at Anfield and received the compliment of being applauded off the pitch by the home crowd. The memories are fresh enough to wonder if Liverpool might have to brace themselves for another ordeal when the sides renew acquaintances. Real have already thrashed Basel 5-1 at the Bernabéu.
Madrid last lost a group fixture on their own ground in October 2009. That was a 3-2 defeat to Milan, the team who follow Real on the list of all-time winners, whereas the next 13 fixtures have ended in 12 wins and a draw, and during that run the home team have scored 39 times, at an average of three per game. Steven Gerrard’s prediction before their first meeting that Cristiano Ronaldo and co could make it “embarrassing” rang true in a 3-0 defeat, with all the goals scored before half-time. The first object for Liverpool this time will surely be to put up more resistance. Guardian Service
