The UCL fifth round brings together two of the most successful teams in European club football, with Liverpool taking on Real Madrid. This titanic tussle will see the Spanish Capital club and reigning champions take on England's most iconic team on this stage. Let's quickly get into the details and key information of this highly anticipated UCL match.
Match Info
Home Team: Liverpool FC
Away Team: Real Madrid FC
Venue: Anfield
Date: November 27, 2024
Team stats, league performance and key players
Liverpool FC
The club from the red side of Merseyside are firing on all cylinders at the moment, with new manager Arne Slot picking the torch from departed German tactician Jurgen Klopp. This has resulted in a perfect campaign so far, with four wins from four, propelling them to the summit of the UCL standing in the new look league phase format. These wins are all the more impressive when you consider the calibre of opposition they have dispatched, including the likes of AC Milan, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen. They also boast the best defence, with only one goal conceded so far.
Key players to watch out for include the likes of Talismanic Mohamed Salah and the defensive duo Alexander Arnold and Captain Virgil Van Dijk, among others, in this star-studded team.
Real Madrid FC
Real Madrid have so far been a shadow of themselves this season, with their struggles well highlighted by two losses in four games. Losing to the likes of Lille and AC Milan at home is less than ideal, as these are teams they should beat easily. Carlo Ancelotti has found it hard to replace the midfield control of the retired Toni Kross, and a long-term injury to first-choice right-back Dani Carvajal has weakened the defence of the defending champions.
The signing of Kylian Mbappe has yet to produce the desired results, with the French star still finding his footing and the coach figuring out how best to utilize the player in a squad brimming with talent. The likes of Ballon D'or runner up Vini Junior, England midfield maestro Jude Bellingham and the so-far quiet but lethal Kylian Mbappe are worth keeping a close eye on in this crunch fixture.
Match prediction and picks
A quick look at the head-to-head shows the positives for the Anfield faithful end here, with the Spanish giants finding more joy historically. There have been 11 UCL matches between these giants of European football in the past. Los Blancos have won seven of the last eight matches with only a goalless draw in that sequence. The Red's only success against this opponent came in their first three games.
This season, however, Liverpool have been a very solid outfit, with three clean sheets from four matches, including all two home matches. Real Madrid also lost their only away match without scoring in a lone goal loss away to Lille. In the last five meetings in Anfield, both teams have found the net only once, with four matches where only one team scored on the day. With Bet365 offering 2.50 odd for no BTS, it looks like good value. If you are looking to bank on Real Madrid and their experience in such big matches, then a Real Madrid win at 3.60 odds looks good. You can visit Cheekypunter for experience and complete evaluation of this bookmaker.
Football fans around the world will be eagerly anticipating this heavyweight clash in the upcoming UCL round. The calibre of players who will be on display promises a match that can go down in history as one of the best nights in Champions League football in recent times.
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