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Here, from the archives just before the 2022 Champions League final (won 1-0 by Madrid), is a more detailed history of the meeting of these two teams.
The last time Madrid travelled to Anfield was in February last year, when Madrid trounced Liverpool 5-2 in the round of 16, despite going 2-0 down. The injured Vini Jr and Karim Benzema, now departed to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia of course, ran the show that night.
Preamble
As games of association football go, they don’t come much bigger than this. The most successful British club in Europe, at one of the most storied grounds in world football, facing off against the most successful European side of all time, with over twice as many European Cups/Champions League titles than the next challenger (Milan). Woof.
Liverpool and Real Madrid have a bit of history and have faced each other six times (across four ties) in the last seven Champions League campaigns, including the 2018 and 2022 finals, with the Spanish side unbeaten across that period. That has got to sting if you are wearing red. The memories of Salah v Ramos, Gareth Bale’s bicycle kick v Loris Karius and Vini Jr/Karim Benzema turning on the style are still raw.
But this is a new era for Liverpool, and a particularly sticky period for Real Madrid. Liverpool have a 100% European record in the new format, while Madrid are currently 21st of the 36 teams at the half-way point of the league phase (formerly known as the group stage). Lose at Anfield, and there is the small possibility that they might not make the top 24 and qualify for the next round.
Moreover, Kylian Mbappé has not yet found his form as a central striker, Jude Bellingham has also not hit the heights of last season after being shunted out on the right and Madrid’s injury list is lenghty: Vini Jr out for a few weeks, while key players Rodrygo, Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vázquez, Aurélien Tchouaméni and David Alaba are also sidelined.
Liverpool, however, are flying (despite the distraction of Mo Salah’s contract situation) under Arne Slot. There has rarely been a better time to face the famous team in white.
Kick-off: 8pm GMT.
