MY ACCOUNT
– Real Madrid are unbeaten at home in Europe and LaLiga
– Liverpool have lost over half of their away games in all comps this season
– Recommended bet: Real Madrid to win
Liverpool have been producing wildly erratic performances, with last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Bournemouth following an historic 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United.
That is a continuation of form that has seen Jurgen Klopp’s men dish out some mammoth thumpings — including 9-0 hosting Bournemouth, 7-1 at Rangers and 4-1 at red-hot Napoli — but also face humiliating defeats to the likes of Wolves and Brighton as well as a 5-2 home defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of this tie.
The concern for Reds supporters will be that most of their bad days have come on the road and now they face a trip to Real’s fortress, having already been outclassed by the LaLiga champions at their usual sanctuary of Anfield.
While Liverpool’s chaotic veering between the sublime and ridiculous suggests there remains an outside chance of a wildly miraculous comeback, it also suggest things could yet get even more humiliating for Reds supporters.
Team news
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has both his left-backs, Ferland Mendy and David Alaba, unavailable through injury.
However, midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is fit after missing the first leg through illness and striker Karim Benzema is expected to start despite a minor ankle concern.
Liverpool will travel without midfielder Thiago Alcantara, winger Luis Diaz and defender Joe Gomez, with all three expected back in early April.
Midfielder Naby Keita is rated 50/50 to feature but defender Calvin Ramsay is out for the season.
The stats
No team has ever come back from a three-goal defeat in the home leg of a Champions League tie to qualify, with only Manchester United in 2018-19 managing to turn around even a two-goal deficit.
Only four times in 30 years has even a one-goal home defeat been reversed in the second leg.
Liverpool have beaten only 10-man Newcastle and struggling Wolves (FA Cup) in their last eight away games, losing at Brighton (twice), Brentford, Wolves (league) and Bournemouth.
Klopp’s men have also conceded three or more goals in six of 19 away games this season while keeping only five clean sheets.
Real are unbeaten at the Bernabeu in either LaLiga or the Champions League this term, with a record of 11 wins and four draws from 15 games, scoring 35 goals while never conceding more than once.
Prediction
All the evidence suggests this tie is dead after Real’s emphatic 5-2 Anfield victory and while Liverpool’s madcap campaign may tempt supporters to believe in the impossible, there have been more lows than highs on their rollercoaster.
With the notable exception of their 7-0 defeat of Manchester United and a red-card assisted victory at Newcastle, Liverpool last beat a top-half team over four months ago and it is hard to see Real Madrid becoming their next victim.
No club in Europe is better placed to see out this tie given Real have navigated their way to five Champions League titles in the past decade and Ancelotti’s men have the quality to open up a struggling Liverpool defence, making over 2.5 goals a sensible Bet Builder addition.
But a straightforward bet against visitors who have lost more than half of their away games looks the best approach.
Back Real Madrid to win, available at 13/10 with LiveScore Bet.
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