Fireworks set off in the middle of night next to Real Madrid team hotel ahead of Champions League clash against Liverpool
Real Madrid's players will likely have missed out on some crucial sleep. Luka Modric of Real Madrid is pictured here in Villareal
By Matias Grez, CNN
With Liverpool struggling on the pitch this season, the team is in need of all the help it can get ahead of Tuesday’s crunch Champions League first-leg round-of-16 match against Real Madrid.
Liverpool’s players might now have the advantage of playing against a tired Real team after fireworks were set off in the middle of the night outside of the hotel the Spanish side is staying in.
“We can confirm officers attended following reports of fireworks being set off outside a hotel in Liverpool city centre in the early hours of today (Tuesday 21 February),” Merseyside Police said in a statement.
“It was reported at 12.55am that a group were setting off the fireworks close to the INNSiDE Hotel on Old Hall Street. It is against the law to carry or use fireworks if you are under 18, and illegal for people of any age to let off or throw a firework in a public place.
“You must not set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, except on Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year.”
It’s not the first time a Spanish team has been unable to get a quiet night’s sleep in Liverpool. Back in 2019, Barcelona’s players were also disturbed in the night by fireworks ahead of the team’s semifinal second leg against Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp’s side completed one of the Champions League’s greatest comebacks the next night, winning 4-0 to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit.
Tuesday’s last-16 clash will be a rematch of last year’s Champions League final, which Real Madrid won 1-0 thanks to Vinícius Jr’s goal.
The Reds will be buoyed by their last two matches — 2-0 wins over both Everton and Newcastle — winning back-to-back games in the Premier League for the first time since December.
Los Blancos have also struggled in the league this season, though not as badly as Liverpool, with disjointed performances leading the team to fall eight points behind rival Barcelona in La Liga’s title race.
The-CNN-Wire
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