Watford coach Claudio Ranieri praises Jurgen Klopp, but insists Inter can beat Liverpool in the Champions League Round of 16.
The Nerazzurri were paired with the Reds in yesterday’s controversial Champions League Round of 16 redraw.
Inter had got Ajax in the first draw, but were way more unlucky in the second one.
“It will be a nice game and the result is not obvious,” Ranieri told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Liverpool are really strong, but you can see Inzaghi’s hands at Inter. He has inherited a winning team from [Antonio] Conte and it was legitimate to have some doubts after Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi’s sales, but Inter go really fast now.”
So, what do they need to beat the Reds?
“Liverpool and Manchester City are the best teams in England even if Chelsea are on the same level,” said Ranieri.
“First of all, they must face both games with determination and without inferiority complex. Never take anything for granted in football.
“Second, they must limit errors. Mistakes can be crucial in Champions League, especially against big clubs. There are moments on the pitch when you have positive or negative feelings, so you have to listen to them and act accordingly.
“There is a perfect chemistry between Klopp and the City of Liverpool. He is a good, smart man, a very nice person. Jurgen is the ideal coach for a top club with a great fanbase.
“However, if you let the Anfield atmosphere get to you, you won’t go far,” said Ranieri.
“It’s important for Liverpool, the support from their fans is incredible.”
Liverpool have just returned from Milan where they beat Milan 2-1, eliminating the Rossoneri despite rotating their squad massively.
“I was not surprised,” the Italian coach added. “Liverpool can rely on two teams, that’s one reason why Premier League clubs are superior, they can field two competitive teams each.”
Inter and Liverpool will meet at San Siro for the first leg on February 16.
The return leg is at Anfield Road on March 8.
Inter are the Serie A table leaders with 40 points in 17 matches. They have the best attacking record in Serie A 43 goals scored so far this season.
Claudio Ranieri ci spiega il Liverpool: "Inter, hai beccato la più forte. Ma ecco come ce la puoi fare ad Anfield" #UCL #InterLiverpool https://t.co/IzG8pbkGDD
— La Gazzetta dello Sport (@Gazzetta_it) December 14, 2021
If Inter get passed Liverpool I’ll . . . . . Well, I’ll be very surprised
I want to see Bastoni and Di Marco versus Salah and Mane.
Barella’s loss will hurt but if he was in, I really don’t think he would have feared going up against Jordan Henderson.
Not an inter fan, but Inter can win.
Very unlikely that they’ll win given how weak Serie A is at the moment, but stranger things have happened.
There seem to be issues with Serie A sides in Europe. 1: Silly defensive mistakes. 2: Finishing not up to scratch. 3: Lack of tempo, especially late in the game.
Barella will be a big loss against some average Liverpool midfielders, but the real strength is their attacking full-backs and their forward line.
If Liverpool aren’t at their best and Inter are, then Inter can go through. But I’d only give them 25% chance as of now. Juve’s game is probably 50-50
Red Card: does Barella miss 1 match or 2?
Inter are very capable of beating Liverpool. It is all about attitude to pressure. I think Inter are likely to get a win or a scoring draw at home leaving everything to play for at Anfield. The 1st game is two months away so a lot can happen between now and then. Either team can be weakened through injury or form.
I think Inter can do it.
If Inter go in with a chip on their shoulder and the the right confidence, they can win. Liverpool feel they are unbeatable, that teams fear them, the media says the same. They take the field with a a lot of arrogance. Inter need this swagger to get them. Even at its peak, the differences in this game are not so big. It just seems that way. We’re talking inches. Let’s see Inter approach this game like killers and go for it.
There is only one outcome out of this game – Liverpool will win easily. Inter has not played well in the UCL since 2010 and have not beaten anyone of note in this competition in that time always struggling to get out of the group stages. Liverpool is more talented, hardened and simply a much better team. This game will continue to highlight the huge gap that has now formed between the EPL and Serie A.