An interesting round-of-16 tie sees Liverpool and Real Madrid meet for the second time in less than a year. Liverpool would want to exact revenge after losing the UEFA Champions League finals against Madrid last year while the Spanish giants can extend their dominance over Liverpool.
Liverpool is slowly returning to form with wins against Everton and Newcastle. They won back-to-back games for the first time this year and will be aiming to extend their good run when they host Real Madrid on Tuesday. Surely, they will try to send Real Madrid packing after losing the previous year’s final and the same-level disappointment in 2018.
Real Madrid’s season is playing catch-up to Barcelona in the league, but they remain in all competitions. They already have silverware this season and have their sights set on defending the Champions League trophy.
| Tournament: | UEFA Champions League 2022/23 Playoffs, Round of 16 |
| Venue: | Anfield, Liverpool, England |
| Date: | 8:00 p.m. GMT on Tuesday, 21 February 2023 |
Liverpool is the bookies’ favorite to win this game, with a victory for the Reds valued at 2.25 (5/4). Real Madrid’s odds are slightly higher at 3.00 (2/1), and there’s no surprise as it’s an away game for the Spanish side. The draw is valued the most, at 3.7 (11/4).
While Liverpool is the favorite to win in England, the odds for Champions League quarterfinal qualification have Real Madrid as the favorite at 1.83 (5/6). The odds for a quarterfinals appearance for the Reds are valued at 2.15 (23/20).
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24/7 supportWelcome offersMobile appsGreat marketsWelcome offersHigh oddsLiverpool’s Champions League campaign is a complete contrast to their English Premier League campaign. They are performing very well in Europe, with five wins from six games in the UEFA Champions League group stage. 15 points from a possible eighteen were enough to bag the reds a second consecutive last-16 appearance in this competition, finishing behind group winners Napoli. However, after the disastrous January and first half of February, they got two dry wins against Everton and Newcastle.
Real Madrid has always progressed from the group stage in the last few years, and they made light work of their campaign, finishing top of the group with 13 points. They had a fairly easy group than Liverpool, but their performances are still commendable. The Whites’ only defeat came against RB Leipzig in Germany in a 3-2 defeat on matchday five. However, they are struggling in La Liga this season after Barcelona made almost no mistakes, which led to an already 8-point deficit.
Liverpool has not won any of the recent games against Real Madrid. They failed to get one over the Spanish side and have lost two Champions League finals to Real Madrid in recent years.
Liverpool FC: WWLLD
Real Madrid CF: WWWWL
Real Madrid is the better team heading into this game and they know advantage is important ahead of the second leg in Spain. They have won their last four games in all competitions, with only one defeat in that period. Real Madrid’s head-to-head statistic against Liverpool makes the away win or draw much more enticing. In the last six meetings between these two teams, Liverpool has not won a single meeting, even when they were on top of their game.
Liverpool has played nine games this year and has lost four of those matches, winning just two times. Jurgen Klopp’s side has been poor, especially in knockout games this year. They were eliminated from the EFL Cup in round 4 against Manchester City and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton. Liverpool is not as good as they were before, and Real Madrid should at least claim a draw here.
Real Madrid looks more threatening and would surely be among the goals, but they have always had problems keeping things tight at the back, and Liverpool can get at least a goal in front of their home crowd. The Reds have scored in six of their last seven matches at Anfield. Both teams are prioritizing attack over the defense and this game should be a proper UEFA Champions League cracker with both teams getting on the score sheet.
The young Brazillian is one of the best players in the world, and he has a knack for scoring in the big games. He scored the winning goal in the finals of the UEFA Champions League between these two teams last year. With four goals in five Champions League starts this season, Vinicius Jr is Real Madrid’s best player in this competition, and he is facing a familiar opponent. Backing Vinicius Jr to score is a good value bet on football bookies, especially having a direct opponent in the face of Alexander-Arnold, whose stronger side is attack but not a defense.
Jürgen Klopp’s team is returning to full fitness with only three key players absent — Thiago Alcantara, Luis Diaz, and Ibrahima Konate. Nunez can miss the game after getting injured against Newcastle, while Jota and Firmino are far from their best fitness. Virgil Van Dijk’s return is a huge boost for Liverpool, both in terms of quality and motivation.
Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos had mild discomfort and missed Real Madrid’s last domestic league game, but they are expected to feature at Anfield. Ferland Mendy is the only injured player for Real Madrid.
The UEFA Champions League is back this midweek with a big fixture against Liverpool and Real Madrid. Using our football betting tips and predictions, you can get the best out of this game.
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