Liverpool vs Real Madrid Preview

Six-time Champions League winners Liverpool will take on defending and record-holding 14-time champions Real Madrid in the first leg of the round of 16 of the 2022/23 UCL season.

The hosts qualified for this tournament round after narrowly finishing second in Group A behind Napoli.

They come into this tie on the back of back-to-back 2-0 wins in league action against Everton and Newcastle with the latter ending Newcastle’s 17-game unbeaten run.

Those wins have released some of the growing pressure on Jürgen Klopp and his men who may be breathing a huge sigh of relief that this fixture is at Anfield.

However, even though they’ve lost only one of their last 23 home games (W16, D6), Liverpool probably couldn’t have handpicked a tougher opponent to extend that record against than Madrid especially as Klopp’s side has failed to get the better of their Spanish counterparts in each of the last six H2Hs (D1, L5).

The Spanish giants beat Liverpool in the final to win the trophy last season and defeated the Reds in the 2018 final and the quarter-finals of 2021.

Now they travel to Anfield looking to continue their impressive record against Liverpool. They qualified for this tie by finishing top of Group F.

They will fancy their chances here after winning each of their last four games. But besides their impressive form, Los Blancos will feel they’ll still be required to up their game having won only once in their last seven UCL visits to England (D2, L4).