Liverpool fans have criticized Jurgen Klopp’s decision to start Jordan Henderson in the team’s UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg against Real Madrid. The two European heavyweights meet at Anfield on Tuesday (February 21) evening.
They are set to battle it out in a repeat of last season’s final, where Los Blancos emerged triumphant with a 1-0 win. The two sides face disappointing campaigns after a stellar performance in the 2021-22 period.
Liverpool’s only chance of winning silver is basically based on the Champions League, but they will need to get past their familiar foes to progress to the quarter-finals. According to some fans, Klopp has already made the wrong decision by selecting Henderson in midfield.
The Reds captain has been consistently dogged for subpar performances this season. He has appeared 26 times in competitions, contributing one assist. Henderson is starting to frustrate the Anfield faithful. A Manchester United fan was amused to see him chosen for the match against Real Madrid:
“Henderson (dead emoji) you’re laughing.”
Another fan believes that the English midfielder will struggle against the likes of the Real Madrid duo of Luka Modric and Federico Valverde:
“Henderson is going to be bullied.”
One Reds fan even went so far as to say that Henderson was a disgrace as a footballer:
“Henderson in any lineup just fucks up your enthusiasm. What a disgraceful footballer, but we’re moving.”
For his part, Alisson Becker was chosen in goal, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson in defense. Klopp has paired Henderson with Fabinho and Stefan Bajetic in midfield. The trio in the form of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo will start in attack.
This is how Twitter reacted to the inclusion of Henderson in Liverpool’s XI for his match with Madrid:
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Keane advises the Reds to beat Real Madrid and win the Champions League
Keane has predicted that Liverpool will enjoy a better run in the Champions League than they have managed in all other competitions this season. The Reds are out of both domestic cup competitions and sit eighth in the Premier League, behind shock leaders Arsenal by 19 points.
However, the Merseysiders are England’s most successful club in Europe’s elite club competition, winning the trophy seven times. Keane says the style of Klopp’s team suits the European tournament, telling Betway:
“They’re not in great form in the Premier League, but I really think Liverpool have a chance to go and win the Champions League. Can they do it while underperforming domestically? Absolutely.”
The Reds will seek revenge against Real Madrid after last season’s heartbreaking final defeat. They also suffered a painful 3-1 defeat in the 2018 Champions League title match against Los Blancos.