1 month ago
20
Who: Liverpool vs Real Madrid
What: Champions League radical stage
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
When: Tuesday astatine 8pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT successful beforehand of our unrecorded substance commentary stream.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield to look his erstwhile broadside successful the Champions League aft a astir immaculate commencement to beingness successful the Spanish capital.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 items- list 1 of 4Barcelona bushed Elche 3-1 to enactment successful interaction with La Liga leaders Real Madrid
- list 2 of 4FIFA opens 2nd signifier of World Cup summons income with slots for big nations
- list 3 of 4Afghan women’s shot squad makes planetary instrumentality aft 4 years
- list 4 of 4‘I would similar to beryllium there’: Lionel Messi connected FIFA World Cup 2026
While Premier League champions Liverpool person conscionable 2 wins successful their past 8 games, Alonso’s Madrid are connected a high, transformed from past play and improving play nether the Basque manager.
Madrid’s lone decision this play came successful a 5-2 derby humiliation by Atletico Madrid, and Alonso’s broadside person rebounded since. Last play successful La Liga, the 15-time European champions beat Clasico rivals Barcelona.
While Arne Slot’s Liverpool person struggled successful caller weeks, a 2-0 triumph implicit Aston Villa successful the Premier League connected Saturday – including a extremity for out-of-sorts prima Mohamed Salah – should springiness them a assurance boost arsenic they invited Los Blancos to Anfield.
Alonso shaping caller Real Madrid
Many Liverpool fans hoped Alonso would instrumentality the reins astatine Anfield erstwhile Jurgen Klopp announced helium would permission the nine astatine the extremity of the 2023-2024 season.
As a player, Alonso, elegant connected the ball, was the brains of Liverpool’s midfield from 2004 to 2009. He was cardinal to the 2005 Champions League triumph successful Istanbul and won the FA Cup among different silverware earlier departing for Real Madrid.
As a coach, Alonso stayed for an other twelvemonth astatine Bayer Leverkusen and past stepped into Carlo Ancelotti’s shoes aft Madrid ended past play without a large trophy.
He has made a speedy interaction astatine the Santiago Bernabeu with Madrid winning 13 of their 14 matches this season.
Ancelotti recovered it hard to marque his star-studded onslaught property opponents, but Alonso’s broadside person greater strength without the shot and are much sturdy.
“To triumph trophies, you person to support well, obtaining galore cleanable sheets,” Alonso said arsenic Madrid secured their seventh triumph of the play successful a 4-0 rout of Valencia connected Saturday.
Alonso has besides shown his willingness to marque tactical shifts during games and betwixt matches whereas Ancelotti’s broadside were much predictable.
The manager decided his squad volition bid earlier heading to Merseyside, truthful Liverpool get nary clues to however helium volition attack the match.
“It’s my determination [not to bid astatine Anfield]. We similar to bash it astatine home, successful our space, truthful they don’t enactment 200 cameras connected us,” Alonso said.
Mbappe thrives portion Vinicius Jr fumes
French striker Kylian Mbappe missed a punishment past play astatine Anfield arsenic Madrid fell to a 2-0 defeat. It was a debased constituent arsenic helium struggled for assurance earlier rediscovering his signifier aboriginal successful the season.
This season, Mbappe already has 18 goals successful each competitions portion adding pressing to his crippled astatine the behest of Alonso.
Another revitalised subordinate is England planetary Jude Bellingham. With goals against Barcelona, Juventus and Valencia successful the past mates of weeks, the midfielder is becoming cardinal to Alonso’s side.
However, not each of Alonso’s stars person been successful a sparkling disposition. Winger Vinicius Jr showed his vexation with his manager publically during El Clasico, storming disconnected successful a acceptable of histrionics erstwhile substituted.
The Brazilian made a nationalist apology to the fans and the nine without mentioning his manager though Alonso said the substance was resolved, and Vinicius Jr impressed against Valencia contempt missing a penalty.
Alexander-Arnold unsure what reception awaits
Madrid close backmost Trent Alexander-Arnold could look a rancorous reception erstwhile helium returns to Anfield but said nary magnitude of hostility from fans could dampen his emotion for his boyhood club.
His determination not to motion a caller woody astatine the nine past play prompted an aggravated effect from galore Liverpool supporters who jeered him successful a Premier League crippled against Arsenal successful May aft helium said helium wanted to acquisition a caller challenge.
“I deliberation whichever mode I americium received is the determination of the fans,” Alexander-Arnold told Amazon Prime connected Sunday. “I volition ever emotion the club. I volition ever beryllium a instrumentality of the club.
“No substance what, my feelings won’t alteration towards Liverpool. I person got memories determination that volition past maine a lifetime, and nary substance however I americium received, that won’t change.”
Slot says luck yet connected Liverpool’s side
Liverpool’s 2-0 triumph implicit Aston Villa ended a four-game Premier League losing streak that had piled unit connected the Reds.
Salah became the 3rd subordinate successful Liverpool past to people 250 goals erstwhile helium struck successful first-half wounded time, and Ryan Gravenberch scored successful the 2nd fractional aft missing 3 games with an ankle wounded successful lone their 2nd triumph successful 8 matches crossed each competitions.
“The margins are tiny each azygous game. Today aft 5 minutes, they [Morgan Rogers] deed the post,” Slot told BBC Match of the Day. “We didn’t concede [from] a acceptable piece, which was helpful, but besides we got a spot lucky, which hasn’t happened recently. Our 2nd extremity was a deflection.”
“When [Villa] deed the post, that was their biggest chance. The past fewer weeks, each clip that shot went in, present it didn’t.”
Looking up to the clash with Madrid, Slot said: “You ever look guardant to a Champions League night. Against Real Madrid it is adjacent much special. It is simply a situation but a situation to look guardant to.”
Head-to-head
The 2 storied clubs archetypal locked horns successful the 1981 European Cup final, which Liverpool edged 1-0.
They person present played each different 12 times with Madrid winning 7 of those games, Liverpool winning 4 and 1 ending arsenic a draw.
While Madrid person won 7 of the past 9 encounters, Liverpool triumphed the past clip the 2 sides met – a 2-0 triumph astatine Anfield successful November past twelvemonth successful the radical signifier of the Champions League.
Liverpool’s squad news
Record signing Alexander Isak and versatile midfielder Curtis Jones some missed Saturday’s triumph implicit Aston Villa with groin issues and are large doubts for the crippled against Madrid.
First-choice keeper Alisson Becker remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, but Liverpool person an capable lawman successful Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Right backmost Jeremy Frimpong has besides been ruled retired with a hamstring occupation portion cardinal defender Giovanni Leoni is simply a semipermanent absentee with a torn ACL.
Florian Wirtz and Milosz Kerkez were benched for the Villa game, and it’s apt Slot volition instrumentality with their replacements Alexis Mac Allister and Andy Robertson for Madrid’s visit.
Real Madrid’s squad news
Los Blancos apt question to Merseyside without the services of 3 cardinal defenders.
Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rudiger person been ruled retired with genu and musculus injuries, respectively, portion David Alaba has been struggling with a calf contented – though helium has a slim accidental of being passed acceptable for Tuesday’s game.
In Carvajal’s absence, Alexander-Arnold is acceptable to beryllium handed a commencement against his erstwhile club.
Liverpool’s predicted starting lineup
Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Ekitike
Real Madrid’s predicted starting lineup
Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Militao, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe
English (US) ·