Liverpool – Real Madrid

The English champions will perform well in front of their fans.

Liverpool fell into their first game crisis in recent years just over a month ago. The Merseyside club lost several matches in a row, was knocked out of the EFL Cup, and seriously shook their position in the Premier League. However, the response from the fanbase and the club itself was quite reasonable. The 'Reds' did not look for a scapegoat on the coaching bench, there were no hysterics among the fans, and no bullying of their players. Some of the players, of course, faced criticism, but the attitude towards correcting the situation gradually began to bear fruit. On Saturday, Arne Slot's side confidently secured three points in their match against a fairly strong Aston Villa, who had beaten Manchester City earlier in the week. This result will undoubtedly help the 'Reds' regain the right spirit ahead of one of the key matches of the Champions League group stage. Real Madrid will visit Anfield for the second time in the last year. In the previous edition of the elite European tournament, the royal club fairly lost here by a score of 0:2. Currently, the 'Whites' are riding a wave of success, which they caught in 'El Clasico'. However, playing in Liverpool comes with its own level of pressure and challenges that can be hard to withstand, even against an opponent not in their best form. Bookmakers have not decided on a favourite for the upcoming match, offering a slight odds tilt in favour of the visitors. Saturday's victory for Liverpool not only ended their nightmarish run of defeats in the league. The three points returned the 'Reds' to the top three in the Premier League, at least until the match between Manchester City and Bournemouth. For the upcoming game, Liverpool does not need any extra motivation. The team is filled with world-class players who are fully capable of beating any opponent, especially when that opponent is Real Madrid, and the match is played in front of their own fans. After their victory over Barcelona, the 'Whites' dealt quite calmly with Valencia and further solidified their position at the top of La Liga. However, idealising the Madrid club would be a mistaken decision. Very few wins this season have come easily for the royal club. The home side, at the very least, will not lose.