Kuyt urges Reds to 'show who we are' in Anfield leg
Being drawn to play at home first gives Liverpool an opportunity to 'show who we are' in a Champions League quarter-final Dirk Kuyt expects to be decided by the finer details.
Anfield will host the first leg of the Reds’ last-eight clash with Manchester City on Wednesday, with the second match taking place at Etihad Stadium six days later.
Traditionally, it is seen as favourable to have the second leg of a European tie at home but, with the memory of January’s thrilling 4-3 Anfield victory over City in the Premier League still fresh, Kuyt doesn’t think Jürgen Klopp’s team have been disadvantaged by the order of the games.
“Because it’s football it’s difficult to say. Everyone always tries to predict football but nobody does really!” the former forward told Liverpoolfc.com, after being asked whether playing at home first or second makes a difference.
“That’s why football is such a great game, nobody can predict it. Always people say, ‘it’s better to play away first’, but if you get beat 3-0 in the first game then you don’t even have to bother playing the home game anymore!
“For example, if we beat City in the first game with maybe one or two goals difference, then the mental game at City will be totally different.
“You just have to give everything in those kinds of games. I think it’s great to play the first game at Anfield, to show who we are in the same style we did in the league game. Then we will have a great chance to win at Anfield, and we will see [what happens] when we go to the City stadium without any fear.”
Highlights: LFC's 4-3 win over City
Kuyt knows from personal experience that the power of Anfield can influence the outcome of contests with Europe’s elite.
The Dutchman was, of course, a leading protagonist in several huge continental ties during his six-year Liverpool career, with his knack of popping up with vital goals on such occasions one of the reasons for his enduring popularity among the club’s supporters.
The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Arsenal were beaten over two legs in Kuyt’s time on Merseyside as Rafael Benitez’s side established themselves as mainstays in the latter stages of the Champions League.
And the 37-year-old explained that even opponents of the highest calibre can be left in awe of Anfield’s ‘unique’ atmosphere on big European evenings.
“First of all the crowd is amazing, and also the history of the Champions League nights is something you can feel even before the games,” he said.
“It’s unique [and] I’m not only speaking for myself. For example, when I was with the national team and I was speaking with guys like [Arjen] Robben or [Wesley] Sneijder or [Robin] Van Persie, they also felt the same - only they were wearing the wrong colour shirt!
“They had the same feeling. When I was playing at Anfield, I was feeling so strong and especially on Champions League nights. The crowd is going to get behind the team from the first second until the last, even before the game it all starts. Those days are the days I miss the most.”
Stats: LFC v MCFC in the 17-18 Champions League
City’s loss at Anfield earlier this year represents their sole Premier League defeat of the season, and Kuyt has urged Klopp’s players to produce a display of a similarly high standard to that memorable afternoon this time around.
“Everyone knows that Manchester City have done a great job so far in the Premier League, but Champions League games are just a home game and an away game and even more a game of details than any other game,” the former Netherlands international continued.
“I think the lads have shown a great performance in the league at Anfield [against City], it was one of the best performances of the season with a great result, and if they can do the same they have a great chance to qualify.
“Of course it is very difficult because City is not only one of the best teams in the Premier League, but also one of the best in Europe. But I think at Anfield, Liverpool doesn’t have to be afraid of any team.
“If I speak for myself, in the past when I played in the Champions League nights we also played against very big teams like Real Madrid or Barcelona and of course, if you looked to those kinds of squads they sometimes had more quality than us but we were playing at Anfield, the crowd was behind us and we really played like a team and that was what was bringing us so far.
“Hopefully Liverpool can do the same this year against Manchester City.”