Who: Liverpool vs Real Madrid
Content: Champions League group stage
Location: Anfield, Liverpool
When: Tuesday 8pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: Get everything ready on Al Jazeera Sports from 17:00 GMT ahead of the live text commentary stream.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield to face his former club in the Champions League after a near-perfect start in the Spanish capital.
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Premier League champions Liverpool have won just two of their last eight games, but Alonso’s Madrid side are in good form, changing from last season and improving every week under the Basque manager.
Madrid’s only defeat this season came in a humiliating 5-2 derby at Atlético Madrid, but Alonso’s side have bounced back since then. The 15-time European champions defeated Clasico rivals Barcelona in La Liga last weekend.
Arne Slott’s Liverpool have struggled in recent weeks, but Saturday’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League, which included a goal from out-of-form star Mohamed Salah, should boost their confidence as they welcome Los Blancos to Anfield.
Alonso shapes the new Real Madrid
When manager Jurgen Klopp announced he would leave the club at the end of the 2023-2024 season, many Liverpool fans expected Alonso to take charge at Anfield.
As a player, Alonso, elegant on the ball, was the brains of Liverpool’s midfield from 2004 to 2009. He was key to Istanbul’s 2005 Champions League win and won the FA Cup, among other silver medals, before heading to Real Madrid.
Alonso stayed at Bayer Leverkusen for another year as coach, stepping into Carlo Ancelotti’s shoes after Madrid ended last season without winning any major trophies.
He made an immediate impact at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Madrid winning 13 of their 14 games this season.
Ancelotti found it difficult to press opponents with a star-studded attack, but Alonso’s side are stronger and more robust without the ball.
“To win trophies you have to defend well and keep a lot of clean sheets,” Alonso said after Madrid beat Valencia 4-0 on Saturday for their seventh win of the season.
Alonso has also shown a willingness to change tactics during and between games, whereas Ancelotti’s side were more predictable.
The manager has decided that the team will train before heading to Merseyside, leaving Liverpool with no clue as to how they will approach the match.
Alonso said: “It’s my decision[not to train at Anfield]. We want to do it at home in our own space so they won’t put 200 cameras on us.”
Vinicius Jr. rages while Mbappe grows
French striker Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty at Anfield last season as Madrid lost 2-0. This was his lowest point as he struggled to regain his confidence until he regained his form in the second half of the season.
Mbappé has already scored 18 goals in all competitions this season, adding pressure to the game at Alonso’s request.
Another reinvigorated player is England international Jude Bellingham. The midfielder is becoming a key part of Alonso’s team, having scored against Barcelona, Juventus and Valencia in recent weeks.
But not all of Alonso’s star players had brilliant temperaments. Winger Vinicius Junior made public his dissatisfaction with his manager during El Clasico, and was sent off after having a theatrical fit while being substituted.
Alonso said the matter had been resolved and Vinicius Junior impressed against Valencia despite missing the penalty, but the Brazilian publicly apologized to the fans and club without mentioning his coach.
Alexander-Arnold, I don’t know what kind of reception I’ll get.
Madrid right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is likely to receive a fierce reception upon his return to Anfield, but says no amount of hostility from fans will dampen his love for his boyhood club.
His decision not to sign a new contract with the club last season sparked an angry reaction from many Liverpool supporters, and he was heckled after he said he wanted to experience a new challenge during the Premier League game against Arsenal in May.
“I think it’s up to the fans to decide how I’m going to be received,” Alexander-Arnold told Amazon Prime on Sunday. “I will always love the club, I will always be a fan of the club.
“No matter what happens, my feelings for Liverpool will remain the same. I have memories there that will last a lifetime and no matter how I am received, that will not change.”
Slott says Liverpool side finally got lucky
Liverpool beat Aston Villa 2-0, ending a four-game losing streak in the Premier League that had put pressure on the Reds.
Salah scored in first-half stoppage time to become only the third player in Liverpool’s history to reach 250 goals. Ryan Gravenbirch scored a second-half goal to give the Reds their second win in eight games in all competitions after missing three games with an ankle injury.
“Every game is close. Today they (Morgan Rogers) hit the post after five minutes,” Slott told BBC Match of the Day. “It helped that we didn’t concede a goal from a set piece, but we had a little bit of luck that we haven’t had lately. The second goal was a deflection.”
“When[Villa]hit the post, that was their biggest chance. Every time in the last few weeks that ball went in, it didn’t go in now.”
Looking ahead to the match against Madrid, Slott said: “I always look forward to Champions League nights, and playing against Real Madrid is even more special. It’s a challenge, but one to look forward to.”
direct confrontation
These two historic clubs first clashed in the 1981 European Cup final, with Liverpool winning 1-0.
The two sides have met 12 times so far, with Madrid winning seven of them, Liverpool winning four and one ending in a draw.
Madrid have won seven of their last nine meetings, but Liverpool won the last time the teams met, winning 2-0 at Anfield in the Champions League group stage last November.
liverpool team news
Record signing Alexander Isak and versatile midfielder Curtis Jones both missed Saturday’s win over Aston Villa with groin problems and are heavily doubted for the game against Madrid.
First-choice keeper Alisson Becker remains sidelined with a hamstring problem, but Liverpool have a capable secondary player in Giorgi Mamadashvili.
Right-back Jeremy Frimpong is also out with a hamstring problem, while central defender Giovanni Leoni is out for an extended period with a torn ACL.
Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkes were on the bench against Villa, but Slott is likely to use substitutes Alexis Mac Allister and Andy Robertson for the visit to Madrid.
Real Madrid team news
The Whites are likely to head to Merseyside without their three key defenders.
Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rudiger are sidelined with knee and muscle injuries respectively, while David Alaba is suffering from a calf problem but is unlikely to be available for Tuesday’s match.
In Carvajal’s absence, Alexander-Arnold will start against his old club.
Liverpool’s expected starting lineup
Mamadashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson. Graven Birch, Mac Allister. Salah, Shoboshlai, Gakpo. Equitique
Real Madrid’s projected starting lineup
Courtois. Alexander Arnold, Militao, Huisen, Carreras. Valverde, Choameni. Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr. mbappe
