He Real Madrid play a game again Champions League three months later. The whites travel to Anfield to face Liverpool for the first leg of the round of 16 of the European Cup. He Real Madridto which the League is complicated Since he is 8 points behind the leader, he wants to write another page in his history with the Champions League and win the 15th. To do this, he will have to overcome the English team, which he already beat last season’s final.
Situation of both sets
He Real Madrid arrives at the match against Liverpool after getting three wins in their last five matches and showing improvement in the game in the last two games. Although they are 8 points away from Barça, the whites do not throw in the towel and continue to lurk. Although, awaits you hard calendar. After this game, on Saturday they play the derby against Atlético de Madrid. Later, they host Barça to play the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. Then, two league games, against Betis and Espanyol and finally, they receive Liverpool for the round of 16 round and visit the Camp Nou for the return of the Copa del Rey. A hectic month for Ancelotti’s men, which may mean saying goodbye or continuing ahead in the three competitions.
For his part, he Liverpool It is not going through its best moment in the Premier, although this week has been the best of 2023 for them. Eighth in the classificationthe ‘reds’ have chained two consecutive victories and two clean sheets that fill them with motivation and confidence to face this match. They are seven points from fourth position, which is occupied by Tottenham, with two games less. Therefore, they recover the options to get into the Champions League.
Real Madrid and Liverpool are two historical of the European Cup and old acquaintances. They have met nine times, all in Champions. The last, without going any further, in the final past of the Champions League in May 2022 with victory for the Real Madrid. The whites they also won the 2017/2018 final. They only lost the one in 1981, that the ‘reds’ won 1-0, the last Champions League final being lost by the meringues. The rest of the matches were in previous rounds: group stage in 2014/2015, which they won 4-1 on Real Madrid, round of 16 in 2009/2010, 5-0 for Liverpool and quarterfinals in 2020/2021, an overall 6-2 for the whites.
Ancelotti y Modric have attended the media before the game. At the press conference, which the Croatian began by answering, he said that It is a “very tough” match against a very good opponent and a historic stadium: “It’s time to put on a great game to win or, at least, take a positive result back.” He has recognized that he made a mistake after the World Cup and he should have stopped, instead of playing so immediately, but he’s getting better. As for the renewal: “I haven’t spoken to the club yet. The same as last year at this point. I’m very calm, that’s what I can say. I want to continue because I deserve it, not because they give it to me.”. For his part, Ancelotti has confirmed that Benzema will start and that he has doubts about who will replace Kroos: “A more ‘controlled’ team behind or forceful up top. That’s the question I have”. In addition, he says that this game is different from the final because “there are two games, so you have to do the 180 minutes well.” Ancelotti adds that “defending will be key” and he is convinced that they will.
On the part of Liverpool they have been Jürgen Klopp y Cody Gakpo those who have come out to the press conference. Gakpo has stated that they want to show that they are a good team and that they They are there: “We will try to win the game”. Regarding the current situation of the team, he explained that confidence has returned: “Now we have to maintain that intensity.”
As to Klopp: “One of the biggest clubs in the world is here, they have won the Champions League I don’t know how many times. We played the final in Paris and I didn’t see it again until this weekend. And now I know why (between laughs). It was a torture. We played a good game. We could have won, but we didn’t. In those matches you can see his experience. They never lose trust. Legs don’t stop. That is what you have to learn from them.”. He agrees with Gakpo on the improvement of the team, but assures that they need results: “These two victories can make it seem that we are better. And yes, it can be. But we have to fight with everything we have.”
The main casualties for this match are Mendy, injured, and Kroos and Tchouameni, due to gastroenteritis and flu respectively. Ancelotti turns to the quarry again. He has called mario martin and Álvaro Rodríguez after his great performance against Osasuna.
This match will be led by the Romanian Istvan Kovacs, assisted in band by Florin Marinescu and Ovidiu Artene. From the VAR the Italians will help him Maximilian Irrati y Mark Guide.
How, when and where to watch the game?
The match corresponding to the round of 16 of the Champions League It will be played on Tuesday, February 21 at Anfield at 9:00 p.m. The meeting can be followed by Movistar+ League of Champions.
Real Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Rüdiger, Alaba, Modric, Camavinga, Ceballos, Valverde, Vinicius and Benzema.
Liverpool: Alisson, Robertson, van Dijk, Gomez, Alexander-Arnold, Bajcetic, Fabinho, Henderson, Darwin Nuñez, It’s okay, it’s wrong.