Barnes: How Kop can make the difference
Liverpool legend John Barnes has called upon Kopites to ratchet the noise levels up to unprecedented heights on Wednesday night and help the Reds over the line against Real Madrid at Anfield.
The reigning European champions arrive on Merseyside for the first of back-to-back clashes in fine form - Carlo Ancelotti's men made it seven wins from their last seven outings with a 5-0 demolition of Levante on Saturday.
Spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo, who has hit three hat-tricks in his last five games, the side from the Spanish capital are searching for a third victory in Group B, having already triumphed against FC Basel and Ludogorets Razgrad.
Barnes is under no illusions as to the sheer talent that awaits Brendan Rodgers' charges tomorrow - but the former winger is certain that if the crowd can roll back the years, the Reds can thrive on the biggest stage.
"It will be a sensational night," he told the Liverpool Echo. "We didn't have any Champions League last year, and I suppose that the glory days of the 1970s and 1980s have not been here for a long time.
"The fact that we are back in the Champions League, and the fact that it's Real Madrid, will mean this will be as exciting as any game, even Istanbul.
"You only need to look at Istanbul to see what the Liverpool fans can give you when you need them. That night, if the fans had turned against Liverpool and not supported, they wouldn't have come back and won.
"I expect the same on Wednesday, and no matter how the game is going, as long as the fans support to the end I am sure they will get a positive result."
Liverpool made their return to Champions League football following a five-year absence in September by beating Ludogorets 2-1 at Anfield. However, Rodgers' side were undone in Switzerland as FC Basel inflicted a 1-0 reverse in the second Group B fixture.
They now face Madrid in consecutive clashes - and while Barnes admits the Spaniards possess plenty of world-class talent within their ranks, he's relishing the prospect of watching his former club test their credentials against the holders.
"It couldn't be a bigger test, and this is the way it should be," said the 50-year-old. "I still expect us to go through, regardless of the result, but it will give us a good indication as to how good this team is. And I think that on our day we can be very good.
"Real are third in La Liga, but they would expect to be higher than that. I don't think they are as strong as last year. I think Angel Di Maria is a big loss for them, and so is Xabi Alonso.
"We can cause them problems. Unfortunately, with James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema and Ronaldo, they can cause us problems also."