Last session before the Liverpool game. The squad trained for the last time at Real Madrid City ahead of the visit of Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final (Tuesday, 9pm CEST). The session was held under strict health protocol in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The players started with two separate rondos, followed by a series of speed drills and exercises in pressing and playing out with the ball. They then played a game on a reduced-sized pitch and ended with crossing and finishing. Carvajal trained alone both on the pitch and inside the facilities, while Sergio Ramos continues with his recovery process.
This is the first UEFA Champions League meeting between Real Madrid and Liverpool since the 2018 final, which the Spanish side won 3-1. This was the third consecutive UEFA Champions League tournament Real Madrid had won, while Carlo Ancelotti is the only manager who has won the competition as often as Zinedine Zidane (3)
Liverpool have lost each of their last three games against Real Madrid In the UEFA Champions League and have only suffered four consecutive defeats against an opponent across all European competitions once previously – four versus Benfica between 1984 and 2010
Real Madrid have won the first leg of eight of their last nine UEFA Champions League knockout ties, losing the other 2-1 at home to Manchester City in last season’s last 16.
In their only previous two-legged knockout European tie, Liverpool won 5-0 on aggregate against Real Madrid in the last 16 of the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League – Madrid’s biggest ever aggregate defeat in a two-legged knockout tie in the competition.
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has won each of his last five games at the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League, including all four of his games at this stage while in charge of the Reds (two versus Manchester City in 2017-18 and FC Porto in 2010-20)
