Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has revealed that the Reds still feel as though they are the underdogs in their upcoming Champions League clash with Atlético Madrid.
Jürgen Klopp's side, who won the competition last season, will travel to the Wanda Metropolitano to play the first leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday, before welcoming Atlético to Anfield on 11 March.
The @ChampionsLeague is BACK this week! 🤩#UCL | #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/FplSvKCcr2
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 17, 2020
Despite being the defending champions and runaway leaders in the Premier League, Gomez admitted (via the Daily Mail) that the team still has a long way to go before they can consider themselves as favourites to win it all.
"It's just about establishing yourself," he said. 'You aren't proven winners until you show you can do it again and again. We went [to Madrid] last season and beat Spurs in one game. Now it is about maintaining that reputation in the Champions League.
"People might say, 'Oh yeah, they're performing well', but as a team we have still got an underdog mentality.
"We've won the Champions League, but everyone is eager to win it again. The focus within the camp is just one game at a time. It comes right from the gaffer through the spine of the team — the skipper [Jordan Henderson] and Milly [James Milner]."
Returning to the Wanda Metropolitano will certainly bring some excitement for Liverpool. It was there that the Reds bested Tottenham and lifted the Champions League trophy last June, but Gomez insisted that the stadium does not matter to them.
"Look, it's just a venue," Gomez said. "It's a pitch with four white lines and two goals.
"You could say the same about Anfield. We have had loads of good games there, too. You can't correlate last June to playing Atlético.
"It doesn't need saying to anyone in the team. That's what is making this such a pleasant journey. We just keep going forward."
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Source : 90min