Real Madrid vs Liverpool Preview

Liverpool will travel to the Santiago Bernabeu this Wednesday to face Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League knock-out tie.

Real Madrid secured a massive 5-2 win in the first leg, with a strong attacking showing giving Carlo Ancelotti’s side a win in a boisterous Anfield after falling 2-0 before the first half hour.

That result at Anfield continued Real Madrid’s superiority in this tie as it was their sixth win in seven unbeaten games against the Reds (D1).  This run includes last season’s UCL final, which captured the Spanish giants record-extending 14th European Cup/UCL crown.

However, Los Blancos have performed uncharacteristically since that whopping win at Anfield though, with their 3-1 success against Espanyol at the weekend being their only win in the four subsequent matches (D2, L1).  Yet, despite that form, history is firmly on their side here as out of the 37 ties in UEFA competition where Real Madrid were victorious in the first leg away from home, they’ve failed to progress to the next stage only twice.

But if there’s anyone that can stage a comeback in the Champions League, it is Liverpool.  The Premier League giants know that overturning a three-goal deficit against Real Madrid is almost impossible, but they will go in with all they have; after all, they’re one of just four teams to have overturned a UCL first-leg deficit of 3+ goals.

To do that here, Jurgen Klopp’s men must emulate a performance likened to their second-leg display in the 2008/09 UCL last 16, where they inflicted what is still Madrid’s heaviest UCL defeat with a 4-0 win.

Liverpool arrive here after a disappointing 1-0 loss to bottom-placed Bournemouth and that does not inspire confidence here.