The glamour match of Matchday 5 of the 2024-25 Champions League kicks off Wednesday as Liverpool welcome Real Madrid to Anfield.
The Reds are flying on all fronts, leading both the Premier League and Champions League standings. Liverpool were given a scare by lowly Southampton over the weekend but overcame a second-half deficit to claim a 3-2 victory over the Saints and increased their lead atop the English top flight to a whopping eight points.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have struggled to impose themselves in the contentinal tournament this season, sitting 18th in the new-look standings with two wins and two draws. On the home front, Los Blancos trail arch-rivals Barcelona by four points in the La Liga title race, although Madrid have played one fewer match.
Liverpool vs. Real Madrid: Head-to-head and recent statistics
- All-time meetings: 11
- Liverpool wins: 3
- Draws: 1
- Real Madrid wins: 7
Real Madrid have won the majority of the meetings between these sides, with seven victories from 11 all-time Champions League match-ups.
The advantage is more obvious in recent years as Madrid have won seven of the last eight games against Liverpool, with the last victory for the Reds coming back in 2009.
Liverpool vs. Real Madrid: Team news
Liverpool
- Injured: Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa
- Doubtful: None
- Suspended: None
Real Madrid
- Injured: David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Vini Jr., Rodrygo, Aurelien Tchouameni
- Doubtful: None
- Suspended: None
Liverpool vs. Real Madrid: What the managers are saying
Arne Slot, Liverpool
(via LiverpoolFC.com)
"Results have been really good – and results are always done by the players. If they have very good results then that is always good for the manager and for the press officer and for everyone who works at the club. We also know how much effort we have to put in to win these games and that’s why we always have to give credit to the players that put this effort in to get these results."
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid
(via Yahoo! Sports)
“The team is fine. We have improved, we are more solid. Now we have a very demanding team in front of us. It’s a great opportunity to get back to our best level. I have total confidence that it will be a great match. We will be competitive.”
Liverpool vs. Real Madrid: Prediction
Real Madrid head to the Merseyside with a lengthy injured list that includes Vinicius Jr., but the Spanish giants are not short on talent even with six players missing.
However, Liverpool are arguably the most in-form club side in the world at the moment and this feels like the perfect opportunity for the Reds to earn their first win over Los Blancos in 15 years.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Real Madrid