Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Tuesday, 8:00pm
Liverpool will do battle with Real Madrid again at Anfield on Tuesday night.
After losing 1-0 in last season’s final in Paris, the Reds will come up against Carlo Ancelotti’s side once more – the third season in a row they have met Los Blancos.
Real have the upper hand having also beaten Jurgen Klopp’s men in the final of 2018.
In fact it’s 14 years since Liverpool defeated Real, but they have found some form at just the right time.
Liverpool will go into the round of 16 first leg with confidence restored to a certain degree having rolled over Everton and Newcastle 2-0 in their last two games.
The Reds looked more like the side of recent years as they blitzed into a two-goal lead against top-four rivals Newcastle.
New boys Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez were on target, but the latter is a doubt with a shoulder problem.
Roberto Firmino is the likely replacement, having replaced Nunez at St James’ Park.
For all of Liverpool’s woes this season, their home form has been solid. They have lost just once in 11 games, winning seven and conceding just nine goals.
Their home xG is also the best in the Premier League (2.45) while their xGA (1.16) sees them fourth in the league.
Only Leeds have won at Anfield, while Newcastle and Manchester City both lost, so Klopp’s men can still put performances together at home.
Klopp’s narrow midfield three of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Stefan Bajcetic seems to have clicked in the last two games and they will have to impose themselves on Real’s three which is likely to be Dani Ceballos, Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga.
There will likely be space for Liverpool’s full-backs to push forward, but Ancelotti will also be targeting his full-backs to get forward and push Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold into their own half.
Real’s pedigree at this level needs no introductions. They have made the semi-final stage in 10 of the last 12 seasons,
However, they did exit at the round of 16 stage in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons.
Ancelotti’s men arrive in good form, though, having recently won the Club World Cup. They have also won their last two LaLiga games and lost just once in 10 games – away at Mallorca.
Mallorca became only the second team to stop Real scoring all season – and the visitors will fancy their chances of netting at Anfield.
The likes of Rodrygo, Vinicius Jnr, Federico Valverde and Karim Benzema have helped Real to average more than two goals per game in LaLiga – and Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk will have to be at their best to repel any combination of those four.
Real also have a superb record of clean sheets at Anfield, although Mo Salah and co are fancied to get among the goals in what looks like being an attack and defence match-up.
It’s very difficult to support a potential winner with any confidence and it looks worth supporting the draw ahead of the return at the Bernabeu next month.
Key stats
- Real Madrid have kept a clean sheet in their last three away matches against Liverpool in all competitions
- Real Madrid have won five of their last six matches against Liverpool in all competitions
- Liverpool have won their last two games without conceding a goal
- Liverpool have lost just one of their 11 home games in the PL
- Real Madrid have lost just once in their last 10 games in all competitions
- Real Madrid have won their last four games in all competitions
