Liverpool is set to once again meet Real Madrid in the Champions League, in a re-run of the 2018 and 2022 finals. Disappointment has been the name of the game against the Spanish giant, but Harvey Elliott did at least land one blow on Bernabeu officials.
It's hard to properly assess Liverpool's draw, although Arne Slot has tried. The competition has been significantly reformatted, and while the Reds appear to have been handed a tough set of eight games, the threshold for at least making the knockout playoff round will probably end up being quite low.
Of course, that's the point, with big clubs wanting their income streams protected as much as possible — it's the Super League by the back door, most likely to the detriment of the spectacle. But it does at least produce some tasty clashes from early on, with Real Madrid's visit to Anfield about as big as it comes.
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Among those who will be most motivated is Mohamed Salah. He was infamously forced off early in Kyiv in 2018 following an altercation with Sergio Ramos.
In later years, Salah has not been shy of voicing his desire to exact some revenge against Real Madrid. But the European juggernaut has proved too strong, the one team to consistently stump Jurgen Klopp and his side.
The hope will be that Slot can deliver a different outcome. But Elliott already delivered one victory of sorts over Real Madrid before he was even a Liverpool player.
A man in demand before swapping Fulham for Anfield, Elliott was courted by top clubs including PSG, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea. He was also given a tour of the Real Madrid facilities, where he was given a chance to meet Ramos.
“Yeah, that’s true,” he told The Athletic in 2020. “I turned it down because of what he did to Mo.”
At that point, Real Madrid should probably have realized that this was a player bound for Liverpool. A boyhood Reds fan, Elliott has been given no cause to regret the move, enjoying plenty of success at Anfield.
With the departure of Klopp, he faces a new challenge, having not started either of the first two games under Slot. But he will be determined to work his way back into the line-up, hopefully playing a role in a long-overdue win on the pitch against Real Madrid.
Liverpool.com says: It would have been surprising for an existing Liverpool player to snub a meeting with Ramos in this fashion. For Elliott to do it based only on his boyhood allegiances is quite something.
It really is no wonder that Liverpool was able to secure his signature. But while it's a fun anecdote, the Reds will desperately want an actual victory over Real Madrid sooner rather than later.
