Liverpool go back into Champions League action tonight with the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Spanish giants Real Madrid, with a fine boost of confidence behind them after beating Arsenal on Saturday 3-0 at the Emirates.
The game comes at a great time for the Reds after a nice break during the international fixtures allowed plenty of the Reds squad to recuperate ahead of the game against the Gunners on Saturday, which saw Liverpool return to winning ways which will have no doubt set them in good stead against Madrid tonight.
Real Madrid will be going into the game with some of their most important players missing ahead of the clash, with Sergio Ramos, Dani Carvajal, and Eden Hazard all injured and not likely to make their return for tonight’s game or even the second leg on the 14th April.
So, with all these contributing factors, what can we expect from the game tonight?
Can Liverpool beat Real Madrid in the quarter-finals?
Yes
No
Liverpool
The Reds have somewhat seen the Champions League almost. become a cushion for them this season after their league form has been so poor compared to the previous campaign.
It would be unfair to just judge their season on the title defence alone, as they have been impressive in Europe and have enjoyed some of their best football against some impressive sides such as Ajax, Atalanta, and RB Leipzig – but tonight will be the biggest test of their season so far.
Real Madrid may not currently be the power they once were but they will always have that presence in Europe as do the Reds, so they will need to be wary of that. One of the key components that Liverpool must deploy is that of Diogo Jota, with the Portuguese forward currently in the form of his life with no signs of slowing down. If they have hopes of leaving Madrid with an upper hand before the second leg, then that will no doubt come through Jota.
Real Madrid
The Spanish side currently sits third in La Liga and have struggled at times this season with their aging squad starting to take its toll on their performances and the younger players in the mix not doing enough to help carry the load at times.
One certain has been the form of French forward Karim Benzema, who despite his age has been performing at the top of his game this season with him currently managing 18 goals in the league this season and 5 from 6 games in the Champions League. He has been a light at the end of the tunnel for Zinedine Zidane and he will no doubt be one of the key factors for Real hoping to come out of the game with the upper hand.
With the likes of Ramos, Hazard, and Carvajal all absent, it is most certainly an advantage to Liverpool.
Score Prediction
I genuinely think that Liverpool will come out on top at the end of both of these legs and I can see most of the work being done in this first leg tonight.
With Jurgen Klopp’s side coming into the game after a dominant and impressive win over Arsenal just a few days ago it sets things up so well for them to continue their good form in Europe and the goals will hopefully continue to flow.
I’m going for a 3-1 win for Liverpool – it may seem audacious and it probably is, but stranger things have happened.
What do you think Liverpool fans, what are your score predictions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below…