Liverpool Legend Identifies Key To Reds’ Prospects Against Real Madrid

Liverpool finished as runners-up in Group A behind Italian side Napoli and have been drawn to face Los Blancos in the new year, with the Spanish side coming out trumps in their recent encounters. Their inconsistent league form sees the Reds currently in eighth place in the Premier League table after 13 games played.

Souness believes that in the first half of their most recent league fixture away to Tottenham, Liverpool were simply superb but came under the cosh when Spurs decided to go up a gear in the second half. The Reds legend noted that if they can sustain the level of performance they displayed in the first half of that game, Liverpool can happily take on any side in Europe.

Souness also pointed out that the tie will come down to which version of Liverpool take to the pitch across the two legs against the reigning European champions. “For Liverpool, you know, it’s [Real Madrid] a name. It’s what that name conjures up”, Souness said on talkSPORT.

“Even if they’re not doing well domestically, they seem to turn up for those [European] games and they’ve just got a way of winning.

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“It really depends what Liverpool will be playing. “When I saw Liverpool in the first half [against Tottenham], that was as good as it gets. “That was a team bang on it, they were fabulous. “And you’d say that they’d be happy to play anyone in this competition if that was their level or standard of performance.

“But in the second half they played second fiddle to a Tottenham side that upped the aggression stakes. “And they found that hard to live with, so it really depends on what Liverpool turn up.” Liverpool play Southampton at Anfield on Saturday in their final fixture before the World Cup, break hoping to close the gap on the top four.