Fabinho looks back to inspire his Champions League comeback against Real Madrid

Midfielder Fabinho believes Liverpool need to reinvent the spirit of their famous Champions League semi-final win over Barcelona to progress against Real Madrid.

In 2019, they overcame a 3-0 first-leg deficit in the semi-finals to win 4-0 at Anfield on their way to victory.

Circumstances are very different this time, however, as although Liverpool still need three goals after losing the first leg 5-2, they have to do it at the Bernabeu, where Real have failed to score just once in their last 66 European games.

Fabinho, a former Madrid B player who came on as a first-team substitute once in 2013, is aware his old club are quick to ‘smell blood’, as they demonstrated at Anfield, where they returned from a 2-0 deficit caught up.

However, he is hopeful the remaining members of this semi-final win over Barcelona, ​​six of whom are expected to start on Wednesday, can find some inspiration.

“I think it’s important to have that attitude for a game like this because we have nothing to lose,” said the 29-year-old. “Everyone expects Real Madrid to win the game and go to the quarter-finals, so this game will be good for us because we have a responsibility to win in the Liverpool shirt and try to play our best football.

“This group, some of the players had a really nice experience playing against Barcelona when we were 3-0 down and we substituted in the second game. It will be a bit different because we won’t be playing at Anfield, so we have to be really motivated to play that game.

“Real Madrid smell the blood and when they have an opportunity they hurt you and when they get an opportunity they will score again.

“We learned a lot of things (from the first leg) and we will try to be less exposed, but there will be moments when we are exposed, especially when we need to score three or four goals.

“But these are things that you have to try to respond to on the ground. I think we have to keep cool heads and it’s important not to be desperate from the start.

“We have to score a goal, but the most important thing is not to concede any more goals. So if we keep a clean sheet by the end of the first half that would be a good result because anything can happen after that.”