The main matchday of the fifth round of the UEFA Champions League will take place on Wednesday in England, where top-ranked Liverpool will take on defending champions Real Madrid in a match that serves as a measuring stick for their state of flow.
Liverpool’s best start under disused coach Arne Slot was that they reached matchday five at the top of the league table, the only team with 12 out of 12 points. It is in stark contrast to Real Madrid, who started the season with high expectations and went on to win their 15th Champions League title and sign Kylian Mbappé, but are out chasing the top eight places. They have two wins and two losses so far in league division action, knocking them into 18th place to start life, but just shy of height 8.
Here’s what you need to know before you tune in.
monitor and probabilities
- While: Wednesday, November 27 | Date: 3 pm Eastern Time
- Location: Anfield-Liverpool, England
- Watch: Supreme+
- Odd: Liverpool -120; Draw +290; Real Madrid +290
Arguments
Liverpool: So far, things are going very well for Liverpool under unused control. Slot has turned them into a defense-first team, conceding just one goal in Champions League games so far and just eight in the Premier League this season. That strategy took on a big challenge over the weekend when the Reds won 3-2 at last-place Southampton on Sunday, although their goal-scoring talent still leaves a mark. Even if the amount of snaps they take has been drastically reduced since last season, their high-impact attack was able to rescue them as much as it has over the past few years. They include Mohamed Salah, who scored a brace in that victory and now has 12 goals and 10 assists in all competitions this season.
Salah’s speed, however, has become a big focus of attention ahead of Wednesday’s game against Real Madrid. Going forward, the 32-year-old will continue to contribute in senior roles, his productivity is starting to decline with the present and he has warned that his time at Anfield could end when his oath expires in the summer. Slot did his best to reassure the troublemakers ahead of Wednesday’s attack, insisting that Salah’s comments were not a distraction and admitting: “If I look at my lineups, then Mo is more in than out!”
The Egyptian international will most likely play games in an important position within the setup, in case Trent Alexander-Arnold does not have much compatibility to start, but he can come off the bench. However, other top players such as Alisson and Diogo Jota may not be available while suffering injuries.
Real Madrid: The sense of inevitable victory that described their triumphs last season has eluded them on several occasions so far this campaign, as they amass an all-star attack that now includes Mbappé. The imbalance that they clearly challenged last season is now costing them, as evidenced by the fact that they have suffered defeats to Lille and AC Milan in their Champions League history so far this season.
That imbalance was exemplified by Mbappé’s inability to integrate seamlessly into his unused team, especially in Madrid’s 3-1 loss to Milan on matchday four. The champions, the most visible lately Vinicius Juvenil, finally end up on the sidelines. He suffered a brief hamstring concussion that will keep him out of Wednesday’s trip to Liverpool, although it would be easier for Mbappe to finally offer a commentary gig in a Madrid shirt.
projected lineups
Liverpool: Kelleher, Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Jones, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Diaz, Gakpo
Real Madrid: Courtois, Vázquez, Asencio, Rúdiger, Mendy, Valverde, Camavinga, Ceballos, Bellingham, Guler, Mbappé
Prediction
Liverpool’s unused tactical style serves them well for several reasons, one of which is that their defense-first strategy could be enough to hinder a relatively wasteful Real Madrid attack. Expect the hosts to take the easiest win over the flawed Ecu champions and add any other commentary wins to Slot’s growing selection of them. Select: Liverpool 2, Real Madrid 1
