Final yr’s finalists Liverpool and Actual Madrid meet as soon as once more within the Champions League Spherical of 16 this yr because the Merseyside membership look to exorcise the demons of the previous.
Vinicius Junior’s lone objective final yr was the distinction as Actual defeated Liverpool once more in a Champions League last for the reason that two sides met in 2018’s summit conflict. There Zinedine Zidane’s marauding Madrid blew away the Reds 3-1 with Karim Benzema’s objective and Gareth Bale’s brace handing them their third consecutive UCL title. No different workforce have even come near attaining that feat.
This time round, Anfield will play hosts to the Los Blancos for what guarantees to be a mouthwatering first leg. Liverpool, who had a moderately stuttering begin to the Premier League season have been close to excellent within the Champions League with their solely loss coming to Napoli in Naples. Nevertheless, in Anfield, they received their win again with a 2-0 outcome towards the Italian facet.
Actual Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, centre, controls the ball through the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Actual Madrid at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. (AP Photograph/Alvaro Barrientos)
Within the premier League, after a string of dangerous outcomes, the Merseysiders lastly roared again to life with 2-0 wins over Everton and Newcastle. New signing Cody Gakpo lastly seems just like the participant who took the World Cup by storm and Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez appears to have discovered his rhythm after underwhelming through the preliminary part of the season.
Actual, in the meantime, have form of fizzled out within the Spanish League after a sizzling begin and the hole with Barcelona on the prime of the desk is already 5 with Barca having a recreation in hand. The current Membership World Cup winners, nevertheless, are on a 4-game successful streak in all competitions with their final defeat coming towards Mallorca on February 5.
However within the Champions League, the mighty Actual has had a patchy run of kind in the case of away video games. The defending champions have gained simply 2 of their final 6 matches when enjoying away from house. And with this kind, they have to journey to Liverpool’s fortress Anfield, a spot that most of the time sends shivers down an opponent’s backbone. Don’t imagine me? Simply ask Barcelona, who couldn’t take the strain of enjoying on the hallowed floor and folded like a pack of playing cards within the 2018/19 season.
Trigger for hope
One factor which may give Actual followers some hope is that their current kind towards Liverpool has been impeccable. Of their final six UCL matches, Liverpool haven’t been capable of beat Actual, shedding 5 occasions and drawing as soon as.
On prime of that, Liverpool might need an harm concern with Nunez going off with a shoulder downside within the match towards Newcastle. If he can’t make it, supervisor Jurgen Klopp can have Brazilian Roberto Firmino and the fit-again Diogo Jota at his disposal. The Reds may even be with out the providers of playmaker Thiago Alcantara and winger Luis Diaz.
Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo, heart, celebrates scoring towards Newcastle United through the English Premier League soccer match at St. James’ Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Feb. 18, 2023. (Owen Humphreys/PA by way of AP)
Madrid alternatively have harm considerations of their very own with striker Karim Benzema coping with muscle fatigue however after being not noted of the current match towards Osasuna, the Frenchman is more likely to be deployed by supervisor Carlo Ancelotti. They’ll positively be with out midfield engines Toni Kroos and Aurelien Tchouameni, who haven’t been named within the squad. This could almost certainly imply that Luka Modric will likely be partnering with Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos with Federico Valverde enjoying simply on the tip of the midfield pyramid and behind Vinicius Junior and Benzema.
If all goes per plan, Anfield will bear witness to a titanic conflict between two European giants, seeking to cement their place within the subsequent spherical of the Champions League, whereas additionally including to their ever-growing legacies.