Michel Salgado is confident that his Real Madrid side will be able to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the round of 16 of the Champions League when they travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool in the second leg this Tuesday.
But the experienced defender does not share the same opinion as his club president, Vicente Boluda, who had predicted prior to the first leg that Los Blancos will easily waltz past the Merseysiders into the quarter-finals.
“Liverpool surprised us with their tactical approach, but we will do whatever we can to level the tie up,” he said in an interview with Radio Marca.
“We are prepared to throw everything at them to overcome this predicament. I think we will beat them 2-1 at Anfield. I don’t believe it will be a whitewash and I have a feeling the president would have learned his lesson,” he added.
But before the date with Liverpool, Madrid will first have to confront their crosstown rivals, Atletico. Salgado analyzed the encounter as well as their remarkable turnaround.
“The game against Atleti will be tough, but we must use our home ground advantage to continue our excellent run "
“We have successfully overcome our difficult phase. Throughout the month of January, we were struggling and winning games by a minimal margin because we were working very hard with the coach, but now, the fans are going to see us play more comfortably."
“In December, people were laughing at the goals we had set for ourselves, but I knew that it was possible to achieve them. And now we are making those who joked about us eat their own words,” he snarled.
Salgado is expected to get his first taste of action in 2009 when he lines up against Atletico on Saturday.