Jurgen Klopp has expressed that Liverpool are facing a daunting task to qualify for the Champions League again, following their crushing defeat by Real Madrid.
The performance has raised concerns that this could mark the end of an era for the team. The 5-2 defeat at Anfield, coupled with Benzema’s late goal at the Bernabeu, marked the club’s biggest-ever aggregate loss in the competition.
Without an improvement in form, Liverpool, who were champions in 2019 and finalists last year, will miss out on the Champions League next season.
Klopp acknowledged that his team failed to deliver a special performance, leading to their exit from the competition.
The departure of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich last summer and Roberto Firmino’s departure at the end of the season marks the end of the famous front three that led Liverpool to three Champions League finals in five years. Only Mohamed Salah remains.
The team’s captain, Jordan Henderson, will turn 33 at the end of the season, while James Milner, who played in the game against Real Madrid, is 37.
Former Liverpool midfielder, Charlie Adam, believes that Klopp has been too loyal to the players and that the manager needs to make some difficult decisions.
Last season, Liverpool were on the verge of achieving a quadruple, but they ultimately missed out on the Premier League title to Manchester City and lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
This season, their hopes of winning any trophy have been dashed after their defeat to Real Madrid. As of now, they are sixth in the Premier League, with only goal difference keeping them above Brighton in seventh place.
They will need to make up a six-point gap with Tottenham and overtake Newcastle if they want to avoid missing out on the Champions League for the first time since Klopp’s first full season in charge in 2016-17.
