Liverpool suffered heartbreak last season after defeat in the Champions League final against Real Madrid left Jurgen Klopp with another fall at the final hurdle on his CV, extending the Reds’ trophyless spell in the process.
The signs from last season are positive though and Klopp can be encouraged as a result, with the Anfield giants having a huge opportunity to go all the way this summer as Real Madrid appear to have edged past their dominating peak.
In order to win a sixth European Cup this year, Liverpool have some work that needs to be done and must take lessons from their campaign last season – and the early indications from the summer are positive.
Firstly, Klopp’s approach to ousting Loris Karius after his nightmare performance against Los Blancos and replacing him with Alisson is a decision that has attracted plenty of discussion due to the financial implications of the deal but shows a ruthless streak that is necessary for success.
Behind a defence that includes Virgil Van Dijk, World Cup finalist Dejan Lovren, the ever-improving Andrew Robertson and a number of other capable options, Alisson could provide the spark to glory.
Losing Emre Can would have been a blow if Liverpool were unable to land a replacement but the Reds have emerged in a better position following the captures of Naby Keita and Fabinho, two players who significantly improve Klopp’s options in the middle of the park.
Finally, the return of Daniel Sturridge and the signing of Xherdan Shaqiri have provided depth to the attack behind Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino that was missing last year, which will prove to be vital as the season progresses.
While Liverpool were excellent going forward last year, their work defensively was poor and the potential of similar woes this season stands as the biggest problem for the Reds to overcome if they are to enjoy success in Madrid at the end of the campaign.
Liverpool kept just one clean sheet from the quarter-final stage onwards, which came in the first-leg victory over Manchester City, and ended their Champions League campaign by conceding a whopping ten goals in their final four matches.
Their attack dragged them through by the skin of their teeth in the semi-final against Roma, where the hosts won 4-2 in the return leg, and similar mistakes cannot be made this season if Klopp is to taste glory.
Most importantly though, Liverpool must show they are capable of going toe-to-toe with Europe’s finest. Last season’s run to the final included favourable knockout fixtures against Porto and Roma, while the big guns were also avoided in the group stages.
Drawn alongside Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain this season, the tough tests start immediately and the pressure is on Liverpool to show they can do it. Their very first match this year is against the start-studded French side, with the Liverpool vs PSG betting odds having the Reds as slight favourites at 5/4.
