Thibaut Courtois says Real Madrid are aware Liverpool will be desperate for revenge when they face off again in the Champions League at Anfield tonight.
The Reds failed to beat the reigning European champions once during Jurgen Klopp's time in charge – including two finals – with Virgil van Dijk describing the record as “very disappointing”.
And while Courtois has been impressed with Arne Slot's side so far – they lead the Premier League by eight points and are the only team left in the Champions League with a 100% winning record – he knows this clash will be even more will mean.
“Liverpool is a team with a new coach after many years with Klopp,” said the former Chelsea number 1. “Now with Arne Slot it is a very dynamic, attacking team, with a lot of pressure, many attacks, good counter-attacks and a lot of speed up front.
“Playing for them at Anfield is a plus. They will certainly be very excited about us because they lost the final in Paris and the round of 16 in 2023. They will be looking for that little revenge and we hope to win.”
Real boss Carlo Ancelotti will be without a large number of key players due to injuries. Star striker Vinicius Jr injured a hamstring last weekend and is on the sidelines alongside Aurelien Tchouameni, David Alaba and Eder Militao.
Liverpool remain without Alisson Becker, Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliott, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is a major doubt.
But captain Van Dijk has already indicated he has an extra layer of motivation due to past shortcomings against the La Liga giants.
“To be very honest, I don't need fuel (of revenge) to be absolutely ready, but it's the Champions League, it's a huge game, a beautiful game for the neutral team and we want to be at the top and come out with a win,” Van Dijk said at his pre-match press conference.
“Listen, the fact is I've never beaten them. That record is a very disappointing statistic, so it comes down to recovery and preparing for a big one and I'm looking forward to it.”
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