Real Madrid Vs Liverpool l Preview l Prediction l News l UEFA Champions League
This is the first UEFA Champions League meeting between Real Madrid and Liverpool since the 2018 final, in 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 has 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)
The Real Madrid Vs Liverpool Fixture of UEFA Champions League will be played at Spanish capital on Tuesday Night.
Ramos will be denied a reunion with Salah because of a calf injury. Real will be without Sergio Ramos for at least the first leg, but Eden Hazard has recently returned to training and could be in the squad against Liverpool.
Madrid will also be buoyed by an upturn in form, the kind of late surge that has seen them deliver when it matters in the Champions League in many years gone by.
Zidane’s men are unbeaten in their last 11 games in all competitions, with their good form continuing against Eibar on Saturday. And Zidane is hopeful his side can carry their good form into the visit of Jurgen Klopp’s side in two days.
But Liverpool is showing signs of a resurgence too, their victory over Arsenal their third in a row and the most convincing performance this year. Crucially, both will believe winning this quarter-final puts them in sight of another European success, that from there they could defy recent trajectories by beating even the loftiest opponents in the competition.
In 2018, Real Madrid and Liverpool knew victory would secure them the trophy. This time they will hope it sparks a resurgence.
Possible line-ups
Real Madrid: Courtois; Nacho, Varane, Mendy; Vázquez, Modrić, Casemiro, Kroos, Marcelo; Benzema, Asensio
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Kabak, Robertson; Thiago, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Jota, Mané
Expert predictions
Joe Walker, Madrid reporter: First, the elephant in the room: Madrid is without Sergio Ramos, and in the last two seasons that has meant elimination. To compensate, they need to target Liverpool’s rookie center-back duo, while Karim Benzema ought to thrive with the extra responsibility on his shoulders in Ramos’s absence. That said, winning the battle in midfield and stemming the Reds’ counters could prove pivotal.
Simon Hart, Liverpool reporter: Liverpool have won seven of their last eight matches away from Anfield, the last-16 double-header against Leipzig in Budapest included. Saturday’s 3-0 victory at Arsenal featured a fourth successive clean sheet with center-backs Ozan Kabak and Nathaniel Phillips playing in tandem while Diogo Jota’s two goals off the bench made it six in his last four for club and country – stating a strong case for his involvement from the start against Madrid.