Source: Telegraph
Liverpool and Real Madrid trade fortunes ahead of Champions League clash
Real Madrid v LiverpoolKick-off: Wed Feb 25, 7.45pm; Santiago Bernabeu, MadridTV: Sky Sports 2, Sky Sports HD1Radio: BBC Radio Five Live[LNB]When the five times winners drew the nine-time champions in December, it was to general glee in Liverpool and fear in Madrid. Thanks to their resurgence under Juande Ramos, though, Real are now the hunters. Liverpool, ponderous domestically for two months, are very much the hunted. [LNB]"I don't think it was ever an easy draw," said Jamie Carragher. "I know that when we got them a lot of people said it was a good draw for Liverpool because they were in a bad run. [LNB]"But they are still a side who have won the last two league championships when they've had to compete with Barcelona, and that's a real achievement when you think of the players they've got. [LNB]"Real will be playing with a lot of confidence now and the run they've been on is remarkable. But that's why you're in the Champions League, you want to play against the big teams and in the big stadiums."[LNB]That means more to Carragher than it does to most players. A devotee of everything to do with the game, the Bernabeu is another one for Carragher to tick off his list. [LNB]Under Rafa Benitez's tuition, the boy from Bootle has been to all of Europe's footballing cathedrals. He has left the San Siro, Camp Nou and Delle Alpi triumphant, and with it earned a reputation as one of Europe's finest defenders. [LNB]Tonight, though, he faces the best striker the Champions League has ever seen. Nobody has scored more Champions League goals than Raul, Real's blessed number seven, and two in the 6-1 humbling of Betis at the weekend suggest he is as good as ever. Carragher, no doubt, sees him as another legend to tick off yet another list. [LNB]He said: "When you think of Real Madrid, you think of Raul, just as you do with Liverpool and Steven Gerrard. He's a legend and that he's played so long at such a high level, with just one club, speaks volumes about his character. [LNB]"He's been written off so many times and every single time he's come back. He's the top scorer in the competition's history and he's scored more for Real Madrid than Alfredo Di Stefano. That shows what sort of player he is."[LNB]
