Rio Ferdinand outlines his disappointment in Liverpool’s limp Champions League exit

Rio Ferdinand has expressed his disappointment in Liverpool’s second-leg Champions League showing against Real Madrid that saw the Reds dumped out of the competition.

Reigning European holders Madrid secured safe passage through the tournament’s quarter-final stage after Karim Benzema’s late goal ensured a 6-2 aggregate defeat for the Premier League outfit.

All the pre-match hype was around Liverpool attempting to produce a Champions League miracle of the likes that saw them stun Barcelona in 2019. 

 It wasn’t that however and instead was a limp showing that left Ferdinand labelling Jurgen Klopp’s side as ‘flat’ and questioning whether they ‘believed’ they could claw their way back into the tie after their 5-2 first-leg hammering, saying: ‘This never became the game we really hoped for. 

‘We were hoping for fast and frantic start and put real under pressure. they didn’t seem like they believed they could win this before ball kicked,’ Ferdinand told BT Sport. 

‘It was a flat performance in the main. kept saying go out on sword all guns blazing but might be thinking handbrake on a bit because we want to keep ourselves in frame for qualifying for the Champions League via the Premier League. 

‘If we lose this by big margin could it affect us on the weekend. I think they’ll be disappointed, to come out of the game where they didn’t give it anything is not enough.