Liverpool host Real Madrid on a big night at Anfield, where they play Los Blancos for the eighth time in the last decade.

Liverpool vs Real Madrid

Champions League (5) | Anfield
November 27, 2024 | 8:00 PM (GMT)

With 21 European Cups between them, 15 for Madrid and six for the Reds, Liverpool vs. Real Madrid an event that the world will take note of.

While the stakes may not be as high as in the three finals they have contested, a win for Liverpool would ensure the rest of Europe took note of Arne Slot’s early appointment as Reds boss.

1. The state of affairs

Going into matchday five of the new format, Liverpool sit at the top of the table as the only team to have won all four of their opening games.

Meanwhile, Madrid are languishing in mid-table, sitting 18th out of 36 teams. With two wins and two defeats, they are three points behind eighth-place Aston Villa.

Liverpool have a three-point cushion in eighth place, which is the lowest possible place you can finish to avoid the extra knockout round.

2. Trent Alexander-Arnold won’t start

Trent Alexander-Arnold is back in training “but will not be available to start,” Slot told the press.

Federico Chiesa also trained on Friday, albeit only partially, and will not be there on Wednesday.

Liverpool will also be without Alisson, Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas, all of whom Slot described as ‘not there’.

However, the coach had more positive news about Harvey Elliott: “Harvey Elliott is in the team, but has not played competitive football for a long time. He is here, but not ready to start yet.”

3. Start XI prediction

With Alisson and Alexander-Arnold out, Caoimhin Kelleher and Conor Bradley should start, although Joe Gomez is also eligible to play at right-back.

In midfield, Slot has to choose between Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones when Alexis Mac Allister comes back in next to Ryan Gravenberch.

Mo Salah will also start, leaving Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez to fight for two spots – we’ve opted to miss the latter this time.

Predicted XI: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz

4. A look at Real Madrid

Real was not yet at its old level this season, but is now starting to take shape again.

With two wins and two clean sheets from two games, albeit against Osasuna and Leganes, things are looking more positive for Los Blancos than before the international break.

After Barcelona surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Celta Vigo on Saturday, Madrid now trail their rivals by just four points with a game in hand.

Kylian Mbappe’s integration into the team has not been particularly smooth, although he has already scored nine goals this season.

Meanwhile, Vinicius Jr has continued to prove himself as one of the best in the world. However, he will have to miss the match due to an injury.

5. Vinicius Jr. is just one of many injuries

As for injuries, Madrid have a long list of them.

David Alaba, Aurelien Tchouameni, Rodrygo, Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are also missing, meaning Madrid will be forced to field a potentially incongruous backline.

At the weekend this consisted of Federico Valverde, Raul Asencio, Antonio Rudiger and Fran Garcia, but on Wednesday we could see the reintroduction of Lucas Vazquez at right back.

Ferland Mendy should also start at left back instead of Garcia, while Brahim Diaz is the main contender to replace Vinicius Jr. to replace in attack.

Predicted Madrid XI: Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Camavinga, Valverde, Bellingham; Guler, Diaz, Mbappe

6. A long history at Real Madrid

This is debatable the most historic match in European football, where the clubs competed against each other in three finals.

In 1981, Liverpool defeated Los Blancos at the Parc des Princes thanks to left back Alan Kennedy’s 82nd minute goal, the only goal of the match.

We all know what happened in 2018 when Loris Karius stole the show for all the wrong reasons as Madrid won 3-1 in Kiev.

Back in Paris for the 2022 final, Liverpool lost again, mainly because of the brilliance of Thibaut Courtois in the goal. But ultimately the football didn’t matter that night due to the events outside the Stade de France.

7. Who is the referee?

You may recognize the man in the middle, Francois Letexier, because he has refereed for Liverpool twice before, most recently in the 1-0 win in Atlanta last season.

Most notably, the 35-year-old also took charge of the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain.

On this occasion he leads an all-French team, with the exception of VAR assistant Aleandro Di Paolo. Jerome Brisard is the VAR, while Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni are the assistant referees.

8. Did you know?

If Ibrahima Konate and Alexis Mac Allister receive a yellow card, they will miss the trip to Girona on matchday six.

In five of the last six Champions League seasons, the Reds campaign has ended at the hands of Madrid clubs: Atletico in 2020 and Madrid in 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Salah has scored 49 goals in his Champions League career, including qualifying matches, 43 of which came with Liverpool. Of the Egyptian’s 12 goals this season, only one has been scored in the first half: a penalty in the 29th minute in the home win over Chelsea.

9. Mo Salah “enjoy every moment”

Before the match, Andy Robertson was unsurprisingly asked about Salah’s contract situation, to which he said: “All I can say is, look at Mo today, yesterday, he’s the ultimate professional.

“Honestly, this applies to all three. Mo, Virgil and Trent – ​​who are all in similar positions – are all so focused on the next match and training and preparing well.

“They’ve been leaders this year, that’s how they’ve done it. For us, in the locker room, I think if they can do that, we can do it too.

“We are not distracted by anything else, they are not distracted. We’re all just excited about tomorrow night’s game.”

10. Follow the match with TIA

Liverpool vs Real Madrid is live on TNT Sports 1 with kick-off at 8pm (GMT).

TIA’s live blog on match day will be active from 7:15 PM Henry Jackson Its job is to keep you entertained and up to date.

Come on, Reds!