Klopp relives final ‘torture’ before Liverpool’s rematch with Real Madrid

Jürgen Klopp has said it was “proper torture” to relive last season’s Champions League final defeat by a Real Madrid team who will provide the ultimate test of Liverpool’s recent recovery at Anfield on Tuesday.

The Liverpool manager watched a replay of the 1-0 loss in Paris for the first time over the weekend in preparation for the last-16 first leg tie against Carlo Ancelotti’s holders. It was a painful analysis, admitted Klopp, with his team unable to find a way past Thibaut Courtois and Real unflappable as they ended Liverpool’s Champions League aspirations for the third time in five seasons.

Klopp, who could have Darwin Núñez available for the latest encounter with the 14-times European champions, said of the Stade de France final: “I didn’t watch it back until this weekend and the thing I realised immediately was now I know why I hadn’t. It was proper torture because we played a good game and could have won – and that’s the decisive word because we could but didn’t, because they scored and we didn’t. We saw how experienced Madrid is and how little they are fussed by the fact the other team has chances. They don’t lose confidence for one second.”

He added: “Generally, I don’t think you can make this team panic. But what held us back a little was the fact it was a final and we did not take enough risks in little moments. We were not adventurous enough, we were super-protected because of the counterattack threat – rightly so, as we saw with the goal. With an extra spark we could have made it happen but it is Real Madrid, we cannot play this game without respect. The white shirts and the badge on the shirt. They are a world-class team. Some of their players have won the competition five times and probably think they own