5 things Liverpool must learn from El Clasico

It's been a week since El Clasico, and Liverpool have had plenty of time to analyse and ruminate on how Los Blancos performed in their last big match of the season before Kyiv. With that in mind, we've worked out five key lessons that Jurgen Klopp and co. must keep in mind whilst preparing for the biggest match of their lives...

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#5 The Marcelo conundrum

Marcelo is in the opposition area as much as he is in his own

What exactly is Marcelo? Calling him a left-back feels an oversimplification, calling him a winger would be inaccurate.

Ostensibly starting as part of the back four, at any given point in time you can find him in the inside-forward channel, near the opposition corner flag and even in central midfield... but, then you already knew this.

Everybody does.

The spaces he leaves in behind the area he's supposed to be defending - sample the acres Sergi Roberto was allowed to gallop in to provide the first assist of the Clasico, Marcelo was in central midfield at the time - the threat he is rampaging forward - he was the most advanced player when he got into that 'tussle' with Roberto that got the Catalan sent off, and he should have won a pen after a loose Jordi Alba tackle on the right side of the Barca box.

Mohamed Salah is Liverpool's greatest threat, and he'll have a party down that left; but the Egyptian loathes tracking back and if left unattended, Marcelo can wreak havoc at the other end. Klopp needs to find a fine balance between exploiting - and defending against - the charismatic Brazilian full-back.

#4 Need to stop Karim Benzema isolating Virgil van Dijk

Benzema takes Umtiti on a joy ride around the Camp Nou

Karim Benzema is such an enigma, isn't he? He scores goals by the bucketloads, without ever appearing anything remotely approaching ruthless, and he is the fans' and experts' favourite scapegoat.

He may not be the offensive threat that Liverpool will be losing sleep over - step forward Mr. Ronaldo - but he should be. What Karim Benzema does better than most everyone else in world football at the moment is create space for others... and when those others are Messrs Ronaldo, Kroos, Modric et al this can be quite a real problem.

Benzema's tireless, intelligent, off-the-ball movement can wreak havoc with even the best of defensive shapes - and Liverpool's isn't really the best. If Benzema can pull off the shoulder of their most impressive defender, Virgil van Dijk, it could isolate the error-prone Dejan Lovren against Cristiano Ronaldo.

This is something Liverpool should avoid at all costs.

#3 Liverpool's attacks should flow through their left

Nacho struggles to keep up with a flying Jordi Alba

Let's consider the options

Ever since coming back from that pericardium infection that threatened his career, Dani Carvajal - arguably the best right-back in the world till then - has looked a pale shadow of himself.

Hakimi Achraf is too green, too young, too naive to be risked at this stage; Madrid don't take such risks.

Lucas Vazquez is not a defender

'Nacho' Fernandez is solid, reliable, but does lack a yard or two of pace - as was ruthlessly exposed time and time again against a relatively slow Barca unit.

Right-back is a real problem for Los Blancos and Liverpool must do everything in their power to exploit this - Andrew Robertson's incessant running can create a massive headache, but even worse for Madrid, Sadio Mane's hitting peak form just in time for the Liverpudlians.

If Mane works himself into one-on-one situations against whoever occupies that flank for Madrid, it could be a long, long, night for Keylor Navas.

#2 Need to stop Luka Modric dictating the pace

Modric holds off compatriot Ivan Rakitic with ease

When Luka Modric is on the ball, pinging the ball hither and thither, pulling strings like a master puppeteer, Real Madrid are an absolutely joyous sight... and virtually un-defendable against.

Their best spell in the Clasico came when Barca allowed Modric time and space on the ball - Liverpool will look to gegenpress those two elements out of the equation, but Modric is skilful enough (and has an incredible partner in Toni Kroos with whom he shares a near-telepathic relationship - those two are a real-life cheat-code) to break a high press. Klopp, then, has to temper his team's press with a measure of caution - a task made doubly hard by the exit of his right-hand man and tactician-in-chief Željko Buvač.

#1 Forget about Madrid - press hard, play the ball early to Salah.

Do

Liverpool just say 'bugger it, let's leave it to Salah'?

Or Klopp could do what Real Madrid do most of the time... forget about the opposition and give the ball as soon as possible, as often as possible, to their best footballer.

The Reds are in the Champions League final because they played football they believed in (mostly, apart from spells against City where they parked a pretty darn big bus) and they shouldn't back down from their principles. In this Clasico, Barcelona showed that (down to ten men or not) if you play your own football against this Madrid side they can be troubled... Barca especially picking them off the counter.

If Liverpool play their natural game and play the ball early - and often - to Mohamed Salah (who is smack bang in the middle of the mother of all purple patches and will be up against the tempestuous Sergio Ramos along the inside-right channel) there's no reason why they can't come out on top against the 12-time Champions of Europe.