Dutch center-back Virgil Van Dijk has reflected on his side’s chances of progressing to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals after their embarrassing 5-2 defeat to Real Madrid.
Liverpool’s night got off to a perfect start when Darwin Nunez produced an audacious flick to put the home side ahead only four minutes in. The provider turned scorer when Mohamed Salah profited from a ridiculous error by Thibaut Courtois.
Vinicius Junior grabbed a lifeline with a gorgeous finish into the bottom corner before Alisson emulated his counterpart’s earlier howler to hand the Brazilian winger a brace before halftime.
Eder Militao’s powerful header after the break turned the game on its head, giving the Los Blancos a lead.
Karim Benzema compounded the humiliation when he fired twice to put the game out of reach for the six-time Champions League winners.
“Football is full of miracles”—Van Dijk
Speaking to Paramount’s Kasper Schmeichel after the match, Liverpool’s defender Virgil Van Dijk said: “It’s a strange feeling that I got right now. But the hard reality is that we are 5-2 down, and (it’s) an almost impossible task to turn it around in Madrid.”
“But football is full of miracles, and let’s hope we can pull off a miracle. We have to stick together like we have always done,” the Dutchman added.
Liverpool is a side that has been known for producing historic European comebacks over the years. In 2005, they responded to a 3-goal deficit in the Champions League final against Milan to claim the gold. And in recent times, they toppled Spanish giants FC Barcelona despite trailing 3-0 from the first leg of the 2019 semi-finals.
However, emulating such a comeback at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu will be a much more daunting task. This current Liverpool side does not seem to possess as much mental grit and belief as the previous teams that made history. But, as Virgil Van Dijk stated, anything can happen in football.
The Merseyside giants face Crystal Palace, Wolves, Manchester United, and AFC Bournemouth in the league before paying a visit to Real Madrid in March.
