Arne Slot celebrated Liverpool's 2-0 Champions League win against Real Madrid by saying the Spanish giants had become a "pain in the ass" for the club after ending a 15-year winless against the reigning European champions.

In recent seasons, Liverpool have found their path to glory repeatedly blocked by Real Madrid and Manchester City. This week, they face them back to back.

One day soon we will have to stop talking about Arne Slot’s Liverpool in relation to Jürgen Klopp’s, but sometimes the comparisons are unavoidable. Here was the steel of Klopp’s best days, the familiar game-settling pedigree of Mohamed Salah and the ability to recover from perilous positions.