Liverpool face their old European enemies in the first round of the Champions League knockouts when Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid travel to Anfield on Tuesday night.
Jurgen Klopp will be out for revenge after Liverpool’s defeat to Real in last year’s Champions League final.
The Reds are fresh of a massive 2-0 away win against rivals for the European places in the Premier League Newcastle. Los Blancos defeated Osasuna 2-0 on Saturday, with goals from Fede Valverde and Marco Asensio.
Liverpool will have the newly fit Virgil van Dijk starting. Darwin Nunez sustained a shoulder injury against Newcastle but was pictured in training today so is likely to start. Ibrahima Konate, Thiago Alcantara and Luis Diaz are all still out injured for Liverpool. Arthur Melo cannot feature as he was not picked in Liverpool’s Champions League squad.
Madrid will be without Aurélien Tchouaméni and Toni Kroos, who are both ill. Ferland Mendy is also ruled out through injury. Karim Benzema is expected to start despite picking up a knock last week.
After a series of disappointing results, Liverpool have bounced back with two impressive wins on the trot, one in the Merseyside Derby and then at St. James’s Park. The Reds have kept two clean sheets and scored four goals in those two games.
Real have won four of their last five games and are remarkably unbeaten in their last six games against Liverpool.
Predicted-line ups:
Liverpool:
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Bajcetic, Henderson, Salah, Gakpo, Nunez.
Real Madrid:
Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba, Ceballos, Camavinga, Modric, Valverde, Vinicius Jr, Benzema.
