The Liverpool coach has looked ahead to Wednesday’s big match at Anfield

European champions Real Madrid come to town and get their first chance to face great manager Carlo Ancelotti. For Arne Slot, however, there were more pressing matters at hand when he addressed the assembled media at Anfield on Tuesday afternoon, ahead of tonight’s glamor showdown.

“Now my family is coming over, so if I hurry, I have to get the groceries for them and then go home!” laughs the Reds boss.

It was a reflection of the mood among Liverpool supporters at the moment. Instead of tense anxiety, the Spanish champion’s visit is welcomed with a sense of relaxed anticipation.

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If all roads in the Champions League ended with Madrid under Jurgen Klopp, Slot hopes this latest effort with the Spanish capital will instead underline the bright new start to his tenure, which has seen him move eight points clear of the Premier League summit and at the lead is in the Premier League. away in Europe.

Having lost seven of their last eight games against the Bernabeu team – including the 2018 and 2022 finals and the 2022/23 last-16 humiliation – there will be a feeling that some in Liverpool’s squad may have a score will settle. with the bonus it would further complicate Real’s disappointing start to Champions League defense.

For Slot, however, there is none of that baggage. “I wasn’t aware that we played them that often,” he says. “I was aware of the fact that two years ago they – I say ‘they’ because I wasn’t part of it – were 2-0 up.

“I used that game for my team at Feyenoord at the time to show that Real Madrid always finds a way to win a match. When Liverpool were 2-0 up, no one expected it to be 5-2 in the end .” for Real Madrid, but that’s what makes them so special, that they can turn games around like that.

“They can win in different ways and if it is difficult for them they can still win a match and that is probably one of the reasons – besides having so much quality – that they have won a lot this tournament.

“If we are lucky enough to have a goal or even more lead (Wednesday), we are still aware of the fact, especially because of what we experienced two years ago, that the match will never be finished until the referee blows his whistle.” In general it is like that, but I think we all feel this a little more against Real Madrid than against some of the other clubs we face. Do they have a different appearance in Europe?’

That said, the visit of the European Super League proponents may not even be the biggest game at Anfield this week, as Manchester City will be welcomed on Sunday with the chance to move 11 points clear of the Premier League champions after just thirteen games .

But Slot knows the importance of the occasion. “It’s a big game,” he says. “I think Real Madrid, Manchester City have been dominating Europe and the league for a few years now combined with Liverpool, so it’s a special week for us, especially because we’re playing at home twice. But when this week is over, there will be another big week.” with Newcastle away and the Merseyside derby.

“When you play for Liverpool you always play big games, but yes, these next two are special because these three clubs have dominated the league and Europe recently.”

Not that Slot is afraid that his team has one eye on their weekend task. “I think we gave the answer on Sunday in Southampton, where you could argue: if the next games are Real Madrid and City, are the players really ready to perform or are they looking at the next game?” he says.

“They haven’t looked at the next game. We are not distracted by the next opponents.”

While Liverpool have won all four matches in the Champions League this season, Real have struggled to maintain consistent form following defeat at Lille and, most recently, at home to AC Milan.

They will be without a number of players due to injury, with Vinicius Junior – who scored the winner in the 2022 final – the latest to be sidelined. And Slot admits the Brazilian international’s absence has meant a change in Liverpool’s game plan.

“We are approaching it differently because there will be a new player playing for them with different qualities,” said the Reds head coach. “We knew when Vinicius would have started, I had to prepare them for him and Mbappe, they are probably the main attacking threat for Real.

“With Vinicius not playing, we have to expect something different. I think he has played almost every game for Madrid, so it is quite difficult for us to understand now what to expect. What we do know what to expect is eleven players with great quality.” and we try to prepare our players as best we can.

“Will Bellingham play as a 10? Will he play from the left? Will he play from the right? Will Endrick come on? They have so many options. Now it’s a little harder for us to see what they’re going to do.” If Vinicius was fit I could probably have figured out their line-up, but now it might be a surprise to us. What we do know is that we are playing against eleven great players and a very good team.”

Finding a way to overcome this will be Slot’s next task. After shopping of course.