Real Madrid look to consolidate matters


By Neo Poho

Liverpool head to Spain on Wednesday night needing to overturn a 5-2 first-leg deficit in their Champions League last 16 tie with Real Madrid.

With the deficit seeming to be almost impossible to overturn, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has also admitted his side have no chance to qualify, but there were occasions in the past when Real Madrid struggled, even when they had a three-goal cushion.

Klopp, even though is doubtful, will look back to the 7th of May 2019 when his team marked a stunning comeback to beat Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate to reach the Champions League final for the second successive season.

Ironically just like now, the cushion in 2019 was a 3 goal deficit with Barcelona leading 3-0 in the first leg heading to the second leg at Anfield.

Although that is the case, Real Madrid will also bring their 'A' game to the encounter in a bid to eliminate Liverpool and hope that star player Karim Benzema will add more goals in the encounter.

Benzema who has been declared fit to play on Wednesday was sidelined during the past weekend win over Espanyol with an ankle injury in the latest blow of a season littered with fitness worries.

Staying on Madrid's injury update, David Alaba and Ferland Mendy are both unavailable for the clash while Antonio Rudiger should return to the line-up after being rested against Espanyol and Nacho Fernandez is most likely to shuffle over to left-back for Los Blancos.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid defender Eder Militao who scored a header in the second half of the first leg is wary of the threat Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino bring in the second leg.

Militao who has made it clear that the job isn't done yet ahead of the big night at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium said, "Salah is always dangerous and against us he is hyper-motivated on the other hand Firmino will want to also rise to the occasion and help his side score the much needed goals, so we need to also be aware of him."

On the contrary Liverpool will be without Luis Diaz, Joe Gomez, Calvin Ramsay and most likely Naby Keita, who still needs to be assessed ahead of the clash while midfield maestro Thiago Alcântara also remains a doubt.

With anything being possible in the UEFA Champions League, the encounter surely promises to be one that will have football fans at the edge of their seats.

Kick-off at the Santiago Bernabeu is at 22:00.

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Football

UEFA Champions League

Real Madrid

Liverpool

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