'One we should all be excited about' - Klopp on Real Madrid UCL tie
Jürgen Klopp described Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 pairing with Real Madrid as a tie ‘we should all be excited about’.
The Reds will face the Spanish team in the competition’s first knockout round in the spring, with a first leg at Anfield followed by a trip to Santiago Bernabeu.
Monday morning’s draw set up a repeat of the 2018 and 2022 finals and while acknowledging there is plenty to do before they meet, Klopp expressed his anticipation for taking on Real again.
Providing his reaction exclusively to Liverpoolfc.com, the manager said: “The first thing that we can say about this draw is it is proper Champions League. This is a tie that speaks for itself and one that we should all be excited about.
“I know we have played Real Madrid in a couple of recent finals but it is not so often that our two clubs have met in a two-legged tie so now we can look forward to this happening.
“Real’s European record is the best around. We know this. But we also know that ours is not too bad. On top of this, we know that we have Anfield and everyone knows what this means.
“It is a really good draw. A really exciting draw. The games themselves are still a few months away but it does not take a great deal of imagination to think what the atmosphere will be like at both games.
“There is a lot of football to be played before this, of course, so we will focus on each game as it comes but yes, this draw has given us something special to look forward to.”