Xabi Alonso pays Liverpool ultimate compliment and agrees with Brighton boss ahead of Anfield return
Liverpool prepare to face Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
Xabi Alonso has labelled Liverpool as one of the best teams in Europe ahead of his return to Anfield.
Alonso will be back on Merseyside when the Reds host Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Arne Slot’s side head into the game top of the Premier League table after a 2-1 win over Brighton. Leverkusen, meanwhile, are the Bundesliga champions after winning the title without losing a game last season. They are currently fourth.
Alonso is a Liverpool hero from his playing days, having spent five years at the club between 2004-09. The former midfielder was on the scoresheet in the Reds’ famous Champions League final victory over AC Milan which is known as the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’. Rafa Benitez’s side came from three goals behind at half-time to win on penalties.
And given his strong affiliation with Liverpool, Alonso knows that the atmosphere his Leverkusen troops will face is set to be raucous. “It’s a huge game,” said the Spaniard. “To play in the Champions League at Anfield, it can’t get much better than that. The atmosphere is super.They are one of best teams in Europe, they are dominant so it’s a huge challenge, they will make it difficult for us.”
Liverpool battled from behind to earn victory against Brighton last time out. Trailing by a goal at half-time, the Reds improved markedly in the second period with Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah flipping the encounter on its head. Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler admitted that his side were impacted by the Anfield atmosphere. He said: "I only experienced this atmosphere on the television so far and now in person, and these moments we needed to stay calm. We had solutions but we couldn't find them and the Liverpool dominance became bigger."