Liverpool vs. Madrid: Not The Game We Wanted — Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand, former Manchester United defender, has attributed Liverpool’s exit from the Champions League to a lack of belief during their second leg clash against Real Madrid on Wednesday. The Reds lost 1-0 at the Bernabeu, failing to overturn a 5-2 deficit from the first leg at Anfield.

Ferdinand noted that Liverpool’s display in Spain was “flat” and that they lacked the necessary confidence to mount a comeback. He stated that they did not believe they could win the game before it even started, resulting in a lack of urgency and pressure on Real Madrid.

Speaking on BT Sport, Ferdinand said, “This never became the game we really hoped for. We were hoping for a fast and frantic start and put Real under pressure. They didn’t seem like they believed they could win this before a ball was kicked. It was a flat performance in the main.”

Liverpool had a few chances to equalize, but they could not find the back of the net. Madrid’s Karim Benzema scored the only goal of the game in the 78th minute, securing a 6-2 aggregate victory for his team.

Liverpool now shifts their focus to the Premier League where they sit sixth on the log with 49 points from 29 matches.