Liverpool and Real Madrid will face off in the Champions League tonight at Anfield on Tuesday for the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Liverpool have been showing some serious disasterclass at times this season defensively and Real Madrid know how to attack this weakness. Van Dijk returned recently but Liverpool's defensive issues are bit more structural than dependant on particular players. Jurgen Klopp's men will be full of confidence after putting together a couple of impressive wins in the last week. The Reds beat Everton in the Merseyside derby before bettering Newcastle on Saturday evening, with Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo's goals handing Liverpool all three points at St James's Park.
Liverpool predicted line-up: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Bajcetic, Henderson; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez.
Real Madrid recently conceded 3 goals against Al-Hilal in the Club WC final. They won the Club World Cup earlier this month before putting consecutive La Liga wins together against Elche and Osasuna. However, Carlo Ancelotti's men still find themselves eight points behind Barcelona in La Liga.
Real Madrid predicted line-up: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba; Modric, Ceballos, Camavinga; Valverde, Vinicius Jr, Benzema.
While Liverpool have regained some momentum at the right time and can expose Real's fitness concerns in midfield, Los Blancos are never to be underestimated in the Champions League and should have Benzema fit and firing in a fearsome attack, so we simply cannot separate the two continental giants and believe that everything will be left to play for at the Bernabeu next month.
I believe that the two European powerhouses will split the victory at Anfield because Jurgen Kloop's team is formidable at home while Ancelotti's team have regained their goal scoring form. Both teams to score is my pick.
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