Jurgen Klopp is relishing the “exciting” Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid, despite a level of unknown regarding where fixtures may be played.
The German will oversee his side in the last eight of the competition for the third time in four seasons next month, where a familiar foe awaits.
The Reds will meet Real Madrid on their turf in the first leg before returning to Anfield a week later, should travel restrictions allow, where the narrative is firmly steered towards revenge for Liverpool.
The last time the two teams met, of course, was the 2018 final where Mohamed Salah was forced off the field after a ‘tackle’ from Sergio Ramos where Liverpool went on to lose 3-1.
Klopp’s men would swiftly bury the heartbreak to win the competition the following season but with the two teams to meet once more, Klopp is excited by the prospect.
“It’s exciting, exciting. It’s obviously a tough draw but I am fine with it because if you look at all the other teams you think, ‘Oh my god’ because they are all strong and all have quality, that’s clear,” Klopp told the club’s official website.
“I am really looking forward to the games.
“It’s only just over two years ago that we faced them and it was a tough night for us, so to get the chance to play them again is cool.
“I know it’s a different round and whatever and we don’t know where we will play and stuff like this, but that’s all OK. If it will be Budapest, that’s fine. We are fine with that. The home game maybe hopefully at Anfield, that would be great as well.
“So, no, nothing bad to say – nothing bad to say actually, it’s just cool.”
And if Liverpool should progress to the semi-finals they will meet either Chelsea or Porto, and while the Reds avoided an all-English tie in the last eight, Klopp knows there is no easy route to the final.
“I think we are all the same: Bayern doesn’t want to play Dortmund, for example, because they are from the same country and for us, it was City and Chelsea,” Klopp added.
“If we can avoid as long as possible then you do it, but all the rest, it was clear we would face a tough opponent.”
Liverpool will travel to meet the Spanish side on April 6 before playing host on April 14, and Klopp knows Zidane has “a few young prospects” and “proper players on top of that” to test the credentials of his side.
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