by Dave Usher for ESPN
After four seasons without Champions League football, Liverpool could not have wished for a better re-introduction to the big time having been matched up with mighty Real Madrid. The reigning European champions and biggest draw in world football represent the perfect "welcome back" present for Brendan Rodgers' side, and in many ways this was just about the best draw Liverpool could have wished for.
Being in Pot Three had opened up all manner of permutations for Liverpool, not all of them pleasant. Had the draw been particularly unkind they could have found themselves pitted against not only Real Madrid, but PSG and Roma too. Fans love the glamour ties -- and Liverpool fans especially relish those great European nights at Anfield -- but you also want to progress to the knockout stage. With that in mind, Liverpool got the best of both worlds. There is no more glamorous fixture than Real Madrid, but FC Basel and Ludogorets were among the "easier" opponents they could have drawn from Pots Two and Four.
Liverpool will now go into their group expecting to qualify, be it as group winners or (more likely) as runners-up, but supporters still have that huge game against Real Madrid to look forward to. So all in all, a lot to be pleased with if you're a Liverpool fan.
Real Madrid is a name that strikes fear into the hearts of most teams, but the Merseysiders have a fine record against the Spanish giants; winning all three meetings between the sides in Europe's top competition. One of those was the final in 1981 of course, when Alan Kennedy's goal at the Parc Des Princes was enough to clinch Liverpool's third of five European Cups. The other two meetings came in 2009 when Liverpool beat Real both home and away to progress to the quarterfinal stage.
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