An A-Z of Liverpool F.C., Part 9

Just 'R'!

R

Real Madrid

Having lost two Champions League finals against them, both involving very different unsavoury elements, Los Blancos have become our bêtes noires on the European stage.

In Kyiv in 2018 - a Kyiv as yet unscarred by the ravages of Russian invasion and missiles - it was Pig Hearted Sergio Ramos who dislocated the shoulder of our top scorer and talisman Mo Salah with the game still goalless. His illegal challenge on Liverpool keeper Lorius Karius, resulting in what was later diagnosed as possible concussive condition - may also have contributed to the two howlers he made later. Then in Paris in 2022, it was not so much the opposition as UEFA and the French organising authorities and local criminal gangs who let us down. But despite a decent performance watched by a half-empty and subdued Liverpool section of the crowd, we only lost 1-0 thanks to an inspired performance by Real goalkeeper Courtois.

But lest we forget, we did beat them in the final in the same city, though a different stadium in a different part of it, in 1981, Alan Kennedy’s late goal bringing the Reds their third European Cup. We also hammered them, memorably, 4-0 at Anfield and 5-0 on aggregate, in the Champions League knockout round in 2009.

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