da esoccer bet： Liverpool have a huge job on their hands to reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals against Real Madrid.
da premier bet： The Reds find themselves 3-1 behind heading into the second-leg and need all the help they can get in order to stage another dramatic Anfield recovery.
However, one man that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp should not turn to is midfielder Thiago Alcantara.
The Spaniard’s dreadful start to life on Merseyside has certainly been well-documented. He has not racked up a single goal or assist throughout the 2020/21 campaign following his move from Bayern Munich, whilst he has started less than half of the Reds’ Premier League games.
In fact, he has been underwhelming in Europe too, averaging fewer key passes in the Champions League than Naby Keita, whilst having fewer shots per game in the competition than the likes of James Milner and Curtis Jones, according to WhoScored.
It is certainly not the impact that Klopp, nor the £31.5m-rated midfielder, will have wanted to make on Merseyside.
There are more reasons as to why he should be benched against Real Madrid though.
Throughout his career with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Thiago has taken to the pitch against Los Blancos 12 times in all competitions.
In that time, he has been part of just one winning side – that solitary victory coming all the way back in the 2011/12 edition of the Copa del Rey with Barcelona. However, he was on the pitch for just four minutes.
Having lost seven career games against Real, it means that Thiago has not lost more matches against a single opponent throughout his career.
The Spaniard’s personal impact against the Spanish giants has also been minimal. In the matches he has faced them, he has notched two assists, whilst picking up three bookings.
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Whilst it would certainly be harsh to drop a player based on his past experience against a team, that coupled with his horrendous recent form should be enough reason for Klopp to drop Thiago to the bench for Wednesday evening’s game.
AND in more news, find out which Spaniard Liverpool did well to avoid in 2019…