Liverpool vs Real Madrid

Liverpool and Real Madrid renew their storied European rivalry at Anfield as two of the continent’s most successful clubs face off. Liverpool make their return to UCL action after a 5-1 win over Frankfurt on Match Day 3. That left them in 10th place on the league phase table, having picked up two victories in three UCL games [WLW]. Now eyeing back-to-back victories, they head into this fixture with renewed confidence after ending an eight-match winless run against Los Blancos with a 2–0 victory on Matchday 5 last season. That result restored belief after years of frustration against the Spanish giants. Prior to that, the Reds had drawn once and lost seven times in a stretch that included the 2018 and 2022 Champions League finals. However, Liverpool have won their last 15 European group stage or league phase matches at Anfield, making their home ground one of the most formidable venues in Europe. Mohamed Salah will once again be central to Liverpool’s hopes. The Egyptian forward, who scored his 250th goal in Liverpool’s colours in the weekend’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa, needs just two more goals to reach the landmark of 50 in the Champions League. Doing so would make him the first African player in history to achieve that feat. His consistency on European nights has been unmatched, and he’ll be eager to etch his name even deeper into the competition’s history books. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Hugo Ekitike in attack is expected against Madrid.

Madrid will make preparations to face Liverpool after a resounding 4-0 win over Valencia at the weekend. Fortunately, Xabi Alonso’s side have historically dominated recent meetings. They will be hoping to do so once again as they look to extend their perfect record [WWW] in this season’s competition, having picked up a 1-0 win over Juventus on Match Day 3. For Real Madrid, the focus will be on rediscovering consistency against English opposition. They have won only two of their last nine games against Premier League sides (D3 L4), suggesting that their aura of invincibility in these encounters has faded slightly. Jude Bellingham remains a key figure — and at 22 years and 128 days, he could become the youngest player ever to make 50 Champions League appearances, surpassing Iker Casillas’s long-standing record. Franco Mastantuono, Vinícius Júnior and Mbappe could team up in attack when Xabi Alonso deploys the 4—3—3 formation.