Mission impossible? Liverpool desperate to regain form as they face a rampant Real Madrid side

Something appears to be very wrong at Liverpool and an away fixture at perhaps the most powerfully destructive club side in the world right now would appear to be the last thing they need.

‘We see this is an opportunity rather than a threat,’ countered Rodgers on Monday. ‘It’s a wonderful arena, one of the most iconic football grounds in the world. It’s a challenge but opponents like this should help you return to your best.

‘We aren’t coming here expecting to lose and then see the other games as the chance to qualify. We are here for a result.’

As odd as it sounds, Liverpool could go home on the end of a hiding tonight and still qualify for the knockout stages.

An injury-time winner for unfancied Ludogorets against Basle a fortnight ago could yet prove the most important goal of Liverpool’s season, affording them the chance to lose tonight but win their final two group games and go through as a distant second in a rather one-sided group.

For Rodgers, though, the bigger picture remains complex. He spent heavily on players such as Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Emre Can, Lazar Markovic and Rickie Lambert during the summer but has so far had almost no return on that. Despite the fuss over Balotelli and now Gerrard, that is the most relevant narrative of Liverpool’s season so far.

If Liverpool are to come again this season — if they are to prove they weren’t simply Suarez and 10 others last term — that must change quickly. On Monday, Rodgers didn’t sound as though his team were about to climb that hill any time soon.

‘It will take time unfortunately,’ he said. ‘The [young] age and adaptation time is something we have to think about. We are not at the level we would like to be but we have to find a way to get our energy back into the game.

‘We have spent an awful lot of money on players to come in and give them an opportunity to perform. If at the end of this cycle of games they haven’t performed, they can never say they haven’t been given a chance.

‘Whether it is Real Madrid, Newcastle or Chelsea, I am putting my faith in these players to perform.’

Real Madrid’s form is ominous. Carlo Ancelotti’s team have won their last 11 games and scored 24 times in their last six. That’s 17 more than Liverpool over the same period.

It appears a complete mismatch and Liverpool must show enormous improvement from the first leg if they are to compete.

It is true that Rodgers’ team began well in the first fixture two weeks ago but they crumbled on the back of Cristiano Ronaldo’s opening goal in the 23rd minute. The reason for that the usually erudite Liverpool manager is yet to articulate.

REAL’S INCREDIBLE NUMBERS 

54 Goals scored in all competitions this season. That’s far more than the rest of Europe’s heavyweights: Bayern Munich (39), Chelsea (38), Man City (30), PSG (30), Barcelona (29). Liverpool have scored only 19.

11 Number of different goalscorers in the squad this season. Cristiano Ronaldo leads the way with 22.

76.5% Madrid’s win percentage this season. They have won 13 of their 17 games.

3.2 Madrid average more than three goals a game this season.

11 Real’s 4-0 demolition of Granada at the weekend was their 11th consecutive win in all competitions.

18 The European champions are undefeated in 18 home Champions League ties, winning 16 and drawing two. They have scored 56 goals in those games.

1,287 Days since Madrid’s last Champions League loss at the Bernabeu — a 2-0 defeat by Barcelona in the semi-finals in April 2011.