'Fans told me to wait for Madrid match'
The enormity of the Anfield occasion which awaits Brendan Rodgers and his Liverpool side this evening was hammered home to the boss in a chance conversation with a couple of Kopites earlier this month.
Having helped bring a five-year absence from the Champions League to a conclusion at the end of last season, Rodgers savoured a special moment in September as the club returned with a 2-1 win against Ludogorets Razgrad.
The Kop was an awesome sight as supporters unveiled five gigantic European Cups in stunning mosaic form before bellowing a spine-tingling rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' to herald the team's return to the continent's elite.
Tonight, though, Rodgers knows the noise levels, the passion and poignancy will rise to a new level when Cristiano Ronaldo and co take to the Anfield turf in the signature all-white strip of the competition's 10-time winners, Real Madrid.
"The fans will be massive against Madrid," Rodgers told Liverpoolfc.com. "I remember talking to a couple of fans a few weeks back and haven't forgotten what they said. They told me: 'Just wait until you see the Real Madrid game'.
"So I've bore that in mind ever since and I know it's going to be a special night for them. It's a reward for them for their loyalty and the patience that they've shown with the team over the last number of years.
"Sometimes it's just about taking a step back. Last night I had a think about where we were when I came in and then realised that in a couple of nights' time we would be playing in the Champions League against Real Madrid. We're joint-fourth in the league and we haven't been near our form yet. There's lots to be positive about."
Liverpool's opponents trained on the Anfield turf on Tuesday night, shortly after Rodgers' players were put through their paces in front of the same eerily empty stadium, which was battered by strong winds throughout the entire session.
The Madrid players worked in spite of the bitter rain - and as they sprinted back and forth, the calibre of their squad became apparent. Even without Gareth Bale, who has not travelled to Merseyside, Carlo Ancelotti has an array of talent to choose from.
"You have to be mindful that they are arguably the best attack in world football at the moment, so you can't go gung-ho, that's for sure," said Rodgers. "You have to have a real focused plan of how you deal with their strengths.
"And on the counter-attack they are absolutely clinical. We've seen that over the course of the last year or so. So there's no doubting the focus and the confidence about how we play the game, but there's no doubt that you have to respect their qualities as well.
"I think people will see and know what we're capable of. I think we've shown that over the course of the last 18 months. We've showed it in glimpses, like at Tottenham Hotspur, this year. So it wouldn't be a surprise for us to go and win and play well, because we've been doing it consistently for a while.
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"But the confidence that a victory over a team such as Real Madrid can give you would be great. For us it's important because of the points - we want to qualify from the group stages."
Meanwhile, Rodgers hopes to have Lucas Leiva available for selection when the wait for the mouthwatering Group B clash with Los Blancos finally comes to an end tonight and the sides clash at Anfield under the floodlights.
However, the manager has confirmed that Mamadou Sakho will play no part in the fixture. The Frenchman has not featured for the Reds since sustaining a thigh injury in training at the end of September.
"We've obviously a couple of niggles from the game at the weekend but we'll see how that is," said Rodgers. "Lucas Leiva was out for the weekend, so we're hoping he'll be available for [Madrid]. Mamadou Sakho is still out, so he won't be available."