Interview'We have to be calm in every situation' - Fabinho previews Bernabeu clash

The Reds trail in the last-16 showdown after seeing an early two-goal lead in the first leg at Anfield overturned by the La Liga side, who went on to win 5-2.

That result means Jürgen Klopp’s men require a significant margin of victory when the teams lock horns again at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu if they are to continue their run in this season’s competition.

Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com on the eve of the return clash, Fabinho stressed the importance of Liverpool replicating their opening salvo in the home game across the full 90 minutes this time.

“We have to have confidence to play this game because we really need to change a big result that was made in the first game,” said the No.3.

“But I think we have to really enjoy this game, we will play at the Bernabeu, a really nice stadium to play [in], a really big Champions League game. We have to try to enjoy the game.

“I think it will be important to not concede, to be intelligent in the game. We can’t be desperate early in the game because I think we have to be calm in every situation; it doesn’t matter what happens in the game, we have to be calm and try to play our best football.”

Assessing what the Reds can use from the Anfield encounter, Fabinho continued: “Not just the first 20 minutes but the first half in this game we were very good, we played very good and scored two goals.

“We conceded two as well, but we know we could be more intelligent in some situations, not be so exposed in some situations.

“Yes, we saw some of the actions of this game. We have to use some of the actions that we did in the first game and try to do it not for 45 minutes but for 90.”

The midfielder was part of the Liverpool team that produced a miraculous comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League in 2019.

Trailing 3-0 from the opening leg on that occasion, Klopp’s charges won 4-0 in the second contest on one of Anfield’s greatest ever nights.

Asked if and how the current side can use that experience to their benefit, Fabinho said: “The feeling in the dressing room before the Barcelona game was really nice, really good, we could feel the confidence from everybody.

“I think we have to be with this same feeling. It will be a little bit harder because we will not play at Anfield, we will not have our fans – we will have our away fans with us but not like Anfield.

“But I think some of the players [who] lived this experience know it’s possible to change a result against a really good team. We have to take positive things to bring to this game and try to make history as well.”