The right-handed batter smashed 52 runs in 18 balls, helping his side to a memorable nine-wicket win over Ajman Bolts
sports1 day ago
Real Madrid got used to pulling off dramatic comebacks in the Champions League last season. Now it needs to avoid one to keep its title defense going.
It will be Liverpool needing to do something magical at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Wednesday to reverse a 5-2 loss from the first leg in the round of 16.
It definitely won’t be easy — no away team has ever erased a three-goal loss from the first leg in the Champions League. Only five times the team that lost at home rallied in the second leg, with Manchester United the only one to overcome a two-goal deficit in a round-of-16 matchup against Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.
Liverpool did manage a huge comeback at home in the 2019 semifinals, rallying against another Spanish club, Barcelona.
It had lost 3-0 at the Camp Nou before pulling off a 4-0 win in the second leg at home to keep alive a run that eventually ended with the team winning the trophy.
Only three other teams overcame a deficit of three or more goals — Barcelona, Roma and Deportivo La Coruña.
“We need to go and do something special,” Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold said. “It’s about throwing the kitchen sink at it and going all out.”
Madrid, which beat Liverpool in last season’s final for a record-extending 14th European title, pulled off thrilling comebacks on its way to that final, rallying from behind against PSG in the round of 16, Chelsea in the quarterfinals and Manchester City in the semifinals.
Madrid also rallied against Liverpool in the first leg this season after going down 2-0 in the first half in England, eventually building its comfortable three-goal advantage with two goals each by Vinícius Júnior and Karim Benzema. Éder Militão also scored for Madrid at Anfield.
The only time Madrid failed to advance in the Champions League after winning the first leg on the road was in 2019 when it was eliminated by Ajax in the round of 16.
Madrid has won six of its last seven matches against Liverpool in the Champions League, drawing the other one.
The team coached by Carlo Ancelotti ended a three-match winless run with a 3-1 victory over Espanyol at the Bernabéu in the Spanish league on Saturday. The coach is expected to have Ferland Mendy and Benzema available after recovering from injuries.
Liverpool took another hit to its confidence with a 1-0 loss at relegation-threatened Bournemouth over the weekend, hurting its chances of moving closer to the top four in the Premier League. Mohamed Salah missed a penalty in that game.
ALSO READ:
The right-handed batter smashed 52 runs in 18 balls, helping his side to a memorable nine-wicket win over Ajman Bolts
sports1 day ago
The Dubai-born talent says he’s excited for the next rounds at Landings Golf & Athletic Club, Deer Creek, Georgia and is loving the challenge of competitive golf
sports1 day ago
A new Champion will be crowned at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club on Thursday
sports2 days ago
At the Jumeirah Golf Estates, Bertoche transformed the DP World Tour Championship's atmosphere into art
sports2 days ago
Host UAE’s Rayan Ahmed and Ahmad Skaik shine in second place as Adam Bresnusets the pace at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club in Ajman
sports2 days ago
The Emirati golf icon recalls the emotional moment that brought back memories of a lifelong friendship with the Spanish great
sports2 days ago
Missed opportunities: 'The course was there for the taking If only my putting had been better,” admits the Dubai-born golfer
sports2 days ago
The top two finishers advance directly to the World Cup whereas those finishing in third and fourth in the group will go through further qualifying
sports2 days ago