1 out of 7: Liverpool will need to buck alarming trend if they’re to avoid European exit next week
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Liverpool fans have seen many unforgettable European nights at Anfield over the years, and they’ll need another one if they’re to avoid yet another round-of-16 exit in the Champions League.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYThe Reds will have a 1-0 deficit to overcome on home soil when they face Galatasaray in the second leg of their knockout tie, and while that task is far from insurmountable (Jamie Carragher is ‘98%’ confident they’ll pull it off), they’ll have to buck a worrying trend which has emerged throughout this decade.It’s now been nearly seven years since that era-defining 4-0 victory over Barcelona which secured the unlikeliest of passages to the 2019 Champions League in Madrid, where we defeated Tottenham Hotspur to win our sixth European Cup.Since that most epic of occasions in L4, Liverpool have played seven matches at Anfield in the knockout stages of Europe’s premier club competition…and won only once (lfchistory.com).Liverpool’s awful Anfield record in Champions League knockout roundsThe roll call of 2020s disappointment in that regard began six years ago today, when Atletico Madrid came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 after extra time and end the Reds’ hopes of retaining their Champions League title.The following year, it was their city rivals Real Madrid who came away with a 0-0 draw in the quarter-finals to prevail 3-1 on aggregate.
(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Liverpool made it all the way to the final in 2022 despite winning just one of three knockout games at Anfield. Away wins meant that a defeat to Inter (round of 16) and draw with Benfica (quarter-final) mattered not, and the Reds beat Villarreal 2-0 at home in the first leg of the semi-final.Real Madrid came back to haunt us a year later with a 5-2 demolition on Merseyside in the round of 16, the same stage at which Paris Saint-Germain won 1-0 on the night and 4-1 on penalties en route to lifting the trophy last season.
Date Opponent Result 11 March 2020 Atletico Madrid 2-3 14 April 2021 Real Madrid 0-0 8 March 2022 Inter Milan 0-1 13 April 2022 Benfica 3-3 27 April 2022 Villarreal 2-0 21 February 2023 Real Madrid 2-5 11 March 2025 Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 (1-4 pens) LFC did beat RB Leipzig in both legs of their round-of-16 tie in 2021, but those two matches were played in Budapest due to COVID-19 restrictions which were in place at the time.When including the Europa League in 2023/24, Liverpool have won just two of their last nine European knockout round games at Anfield, losing five.It’s not the best portent for Galatasaray’s visit to Merseyside next week, but the Reds will need to buck the trend of recent years and produce a standout springtime result at home in the Champions League if they’re to advance to the quarter-finals.