Liverpool Vs Madrid Live excLusive
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Champions League: Liverpool host Real Madrid at Anfield
Last Updated: 22/10/14 6:29pm
Mario Balotelli: Brendan Rodgers must decide whether to stick with his £16m signing on Wednesday
Liverpool face a real test of their Champions League credentials as they host holders and Group B leaders Real Madrid at Anfield.
Wednesday's fixture is one steeped in European Cup history, with the two sides having won the competition 15 times between them (Liverpool five, Real 10).
This includes a Liverpool victory over the Spanish side in the 1981 final, when Alan Kennedy's 82nd-minute strike proved the difference.
The last time they met, Rafa Benitez's Reds registered an impressive 5-0 aggregate win in the last 16 in 2008/09.
However, Real will go into this game as firm favourites with 2005 winners Liverpool having fallen behind their European rivals and finding their feet again in the competition.
In contrast, Real are the reigning champions, having sealed an historic 10th title courtesy of a 4-1 win over fellow Spanish side Atletico Madrid in Lisbon.
Jamie Carragher believes Brendan Rodgers needs to leave Mario Balotelli out of his starting line up if Liverpool are to get a result against Real Madrid in
Most of the Galacticos that comprised that Real side remain at the club, including former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored a remarkable 20 goals in 13 appearances for club and country this season.
The Portuguese has scored in 10 successive matches, including hat-tricks agauinst Deportivo and Athletic Bilbao and four in the home win over Elche.
At the weekend, he broke a 71-year-old La Liga record by taking his tally to 15 goals in eight league matches, which means he has now scored a staggering 271 goals in 258 club appearances. He is just two goals away from
equalling club icon Raul's Champions League record of 71.
equalling club icon Raul's Champions League record of 71.
Ancelotti has also added to his side, with the big money capture of Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez, who was the top scorer at the 2014 World Cup, and Toni Kroos, who was part of the German side that won the trophy in Brazil in the summer.
Real have started this season's competition in ominous form, winning both of their group fixtures to date - 5-1 at home to Basle and 2-1 away at Ludogorets.
Match facts
- As a Manchester United player, Cristiano Ronaldo never scored at Anfield in five separate visits.
- Since losing to Atletico Madrid on 13 September, the European champions have won seven successive matches, scoring 32 goals in the process.
- Liverpool have kept only two clean sheets in their last 20 matches in all competitions – both against Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool also beat the latter, at Anfield, but suffered a 1-0 defeat in Switzerland.
The Reds are still adjusting to the loss of their star player from last season, with Italian striker Mario Balotelli continuing to fill the sizeable gap left by forward Luis Suarez, who joined Real's El Clasico rivals Barcelona in the off-season.
They have not been helped by a calf injury to Daniel Sturridge, who is still a few weeks from returning to first-team action.
Rodgers is expected to recall to left-back Alberto Moreno back into his starting XI on Wednesday after he was rested at the weekend.
Carlo Ancelotti's side will be without record signing Gareth Bale, because of an abdominal muscle injury, and defender Sergio Ramos, who has missed the last three games for club and country due to a calf problem.
French internationals Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane, who missed Saturday's 5-0 thrashing of Levante due to a fever, have been included in the squad.
Sky Sports revisit this memorable encounter at Anfield as an in form Fernando Torres steered Liverpool to a 4-0 win over Real Madrid back in 2009.
Graeme Souness' preview
Real Madrid are a very good team, but I don’t think they are a special team that will dominate European football for the next few years.
I don’t think they will defend the Champions League and they’ll need to enjoy a great deal of luck if they are to do so.
The absence of Gareth Bale is a blow and even when he is available, you’d have to say there are frailties in that side.
However, I think they will make it a hard night for Liverpool. When you play at home in European football, you’ve got to come up with a happy balance where you get on the front foot and try to win it without leaving yourself vulnerable.
When you’re pushing up and you leave a gap between your last defender and your goalkeeper, it’s tailor-made for Cristiano Ronaldo with the pace he has and the accuracy of the passing in their team.
Real Madrid are a team that’s set-up to play counter-attacking football, as well as being able to dominate the ball when they get on the front foot.
People always have game plans to take care of Ronaldo, but very few people succeed in keeping him quiet for 90 minutes.
Graeme Souness will be live at Anfield alongside Jeff Stelling, Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp from 6pm on Sky Sports 5 for Liverpool v Real Madrid, while Anderlecht v Arsenal is on Sky Sports 1 from 7.30pm.
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Your Comments (33)post a comment
lio says22/10/14 7:06pm
i bet madrid is gonna smash liverpool. it s a crazy to compare these to teams.
punipu says22/10/14 6:39pm
Walk on, walk on With hope in your heart And you¿ll never walk alone You¿ll never walk alone We need to find that lost confidence, be organized in defense, keep the aggression on and BELIEVE !
sydney says22/10/14 6:25pm
It would be very hard for Liverpool to Win considering their current form and that of real Madrid.
ghm73 says22/10/14 6:14pm
This is another night for British Teams in European competition, we should all get behind our teams tonight and leave the child like tantrums to the Premier league!! Y.N.W.A.
red-j says22/10/14 5:52pm
I will be watching this one from behind the sofa ! But when things look the worst we have a habit of turning it around (and visa versa) ! Come on Liverpool !
mox says22/10/14 5:46pm
Liverpool fans are good at making them selves happy, lets wait for the final whistle
tim says22/10/14 5:31pm
Mario to become a KOP hero tonight.. like all strikers he just needs that lucky break then he will be off and running you watch
g_bonsu says22/10/14 5:31pm
I am not happy how Liverpool fans are trying to make a scape goat out of Mario. Essentially Liverpool last year were a threat because of SAS outscoring the opposition. Therefore Liverpool need to fix their defence first. Mario or no Mario you need a defence to play against Ronaldo, therefore if Liverpool don't concentrate on whats important they can get a bad beating tonight sadly.
harry says22/10/14 5:16pm
buzz you are wrong. Man Utd have scored more against Real than you have, I make it 16 to LFC's 6. The first English team to win at the Bernabeu was Arsenal who also have never lost to Real. Seriously are Liverpool fans allergic to actual facts?
connorlfc says22/10/14 4:39pm
mignolet Johnson skrtel lovren Moreno gerrard lucas coutinho hendo allen sterling No time for selfish players. Hard Working team, fast counter attacks. We CAN win this YNWA
buzz says22/10/14 4:13pm
We are the only english club to have 100% record against RM and that include's a euro final in paris and also scored more goal's against them than any other team in the english league.
jaqui says22/10/14 3:29pm
come on lpool huge task but you are more than capable x
pascal says22/10/14 3:19pm
i believe it will be hard for real to break the record although they look too good on paper come guy the kops will make it.
aharris says22/10/14 3:18pm
If we go out attacking we will be destroyed, as was shown to what happened to bayern munich last years champions league semi finals! We have to park the bus, with sterling and coutinho our counters always have the chance of being deadly, hopefully we can keep the scoreline respectable, but im expecting us to lose 2 nil as real madrid dont score own goals like qpr, but you never know, just like we all thought we were doomed at half time in Instanbul, maybe we can pull off another miracle to give us confidence for the season YNWA
jakelfc123 says22/10/14 3:11pm
We should play the 442 diamond because that's the most successful formation we played i think we will win 2-1 Sterling and Coutinho
stamfordthelion says22/10/14 2:56pm
Will always try and back an English club in Euro competition, but I simply cannot see anything but a bad night for the scousers. Against QPR, although they won, it only masks the fact they were not very good at all defensively and Real are not QPR.. No one can handle the Ronaldo goal machine although every team tries to. Liverpools backline is poor I can see at least one penalty being conceded. Balotelli or no Balotelli it won't make much of a difference. Good Luck anyway.
david says22/10/14 2:55pm
liverpool 2 1 sterling and gerrad penilty YNWA
mhs says22/10/14 2:33pm
come on liverpool. BR please play 442 dimond. stetling up front with balotoli, coutinho,gerrard,allen,henderson midfield.
btaylor97 says22/10/14 2:30pm
Yes real Madrid are a great team they do have fundamental weaknesses! If LFC keep tight at the back and play like we watched them all last season and against Tottenham this year Im quietly confident LFC 2-1 RMFC
robbi says22/10/14 2:27pm
All Rodgers needs to do is bring back Carra as our defensive coach and have him on the touchline barking out the orders to them alone and that'll soon whip those boys into place. Pick up the phone Brendan & get J.C back.
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