Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp says it was “really difficult” for his players to play at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in their 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
A Vinicius Jr. double on either side of halftime and a Marco Asensio goal made sure the hosts were comfortable winners of the Champions League quarterfinal first leg.
With Mo Salah getting one back for the Reds to make it 2-1 before Vinicius’s second strike, Klopp believes it will be a hele ander storie when they play the return leg at Anfield next week.
With Real playing all their games at their training ground while the Santiago Bernabeu gets a revamp, Klopp says: “It must be a really tricky task for Real at Anfield with or without supporters.
“This here was really strange, it was really difficult, a different situation with the stadium, but Anfield is at least a proper stadium and that will be good for us.”
The German coach will also be hoping for proper officiating after slamming referee Felix Brych for his treatment of Sadio Mane in the match.
Klopp was particularly frustrated after Mane, who was yellow carded in the clash, appeared to be barged over near Madrid’s penalty area by Lucas Vazquez, only for the referee to wave play on.
And he says: “It seemed like it was sort of personal… I told him after the game, I just thought he was unfair with Sadio. He didn’t lose us the game but you need just an OK ref.”
As for his team, Klopp adds: “If we want to go to the semifinals we have to earn the right to do so and we didn’t do that
“The only good thing I can say about the game, apart from the goal, is that it is only the first half of the leg. We just didn’t play good enough football.
“I thought it would have been possible but we have to show it in the next game.”