Allen: We have belief and we can progress
Joe Allen cut a determined figure as he reflected on Liverpool's slender 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, insisting that the Reds still firmly believe they can secure a place in the knockout phase of this year's Champions League.
Brendan Rodgers' side showed considerable improvement in their performance from the 3-0 loss they endured against Los Blancos at Anfield in the competition two weeks previous.
That night, Carlo Ancelotti's side turned in such a dominant display, particularly in the first half, when they stung Liverpool with three quickfire goals, that the home crowd applauded the visitors as they departed the floodlit turf.
On Tuesday, the encounter was much tighter; however, Madrid still managed to pry apart the Reds' defence with a spark of sheer ruthlessness as Marcelo found Karim Benzema and he converted into the roof of the net in the 27th minute.
A trip to Ludogorets Razgrad and a home clash against FC Basel awaits Allen and co over the coming weeks - and the players know they must take six points from the two encounters to stand a chance of securing qualification from Group B.
"We are confident we can get six points from the remaining two games," Allen told Liverpoolfc.com. "We understand we have got a lot of work to do and it's not going to be easy, but we've got the self-belief we can do that and get ourselves into the next round."
Allen was one of four players who retained their starting berths in the side following the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United at the weekend as Rodgers opted for seven changes to his team.
He was his usual, diligent self, covering every inch of the turf in an attempt to subdue Madrid's talented midfield - and Allen believes each player in red seized their opportunity to perform against the reigning European champions.
"Every single player put everything into it and I think that's all you can ask," he said. "Everyone out there gave their best and we gave a good account of ourselves and I think on another day we maybe would have come away with something. I don't think there was too much in it and the scoreline reflects that.
"We came here to get a result. I think the way we set up was clear, but their quality on the day was there for everyone to see and on the day they just had too much for us."
Allen believes the team can take a certain amount of confidence from their display against Real into Saturday's Anfield encounter with Jose Mourinho's Barclays Premier League pacesetters Chelsea.
He added: "There was definitely elements from today the performance to take into the weekend so it has put us in good stead. Our attention turns to that now and it's a great game to look forward to."