Liverpool Vs Real Madrid: Duel Sentit, Salah Tatang Mbappe At Anfield

Mohammed Salah, middle on fire with Liverpool (photo: x @lfc)

JAKARTA - Liverpool and Real Madrid will meet again in the exciting Champions League match on Wednesday night 27 November, Thursday morning WIB at Anfield Stadium, continuing the long rivalry between the two European football giants.

Liverpool, who are the only team with a perfect record in competitions this season, will face Real Madrid struggling to maintain consistency. Arne Slot's men lead the Champions League standings with 12 points from four games, while Real Madrid are still in 18th place in the new league system.

Liverpool came into this match with high confidence after beating Southampton 3-2 in the Premier League match, thanks to two goals from Mohamed Salah who continued to show his brilliant performance. This victory made Liverpool firm at the top of the Premier League standings with an eight-point advantage.

However, Real Madrid is not an arbitrary opponent for the Reds. In the last eight meetings, including the 2018 and 2022 Champions League finals, Liverpool have never won against Los Blancos, with seven defeats and one draw.

Real Madrid came to Anfield after an impressive 3-0 win over Leganes in La Liga, but had to face tough challenges in the Champions League this season, including a surprise defeat to Lille and AC Milan.

Liverpool got good news with Harvey Elliott's return to the squad after recovering from a leg injury. However, Arne Slot most likely still has to play without Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Of the four players, only Alexander-Arnold has the opportunity to appear in this match.

The England's mainstay right-back missed the dramatic match against Southampton, which Liverpool won 3-2 at the end of last week. However, manager Arne Slot confirmed that Alexander-Arnold had the best chance of recovering compared to his injured teammates, such as Alisson Becker (hamstring) and Diogo Jota (abdominal), who were almost certainly absent.

Meanwhile, Federico Chiesa will also not rush back into the field, given the start of his season plagued by various fitness problems.

If Alexander-Arnold recovers on time, he will replace Conor Bradley at right-back. On the other hand, Andy Robertson, who appeared less impressive in the last match, is likely to be replaced by Kostas Tsimikas on the left-back.

Alexis Mac Allister is expected to return to fill the midfield to replace Curtis Jones. Mac Allister will join Ryan Gravenberch, who has recorded 30 times in the Champions League this season' highest among midfielders. Dominik Szoboszlai, who scored the opener against Southampton, is also expected to appear in the attacking midfield position.

The Andal Trio On the front lines, Luis Diaz, who scored an incredible hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen on matchday four, is likely to return to his left wing position, while Darwin Nunez fills the main striker position. Mohamed Salah, with his steady performance, will be a mainstay in the right flank, although he recently shocked him by statements related to his contract.

On the other hand, Real Madrid had to lose several key players, including Vinicius Junior who suffered a hamstring injury. The Brazilian joined David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, and Eder Militao in the treatment room. In addition, Rodrygo, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Lucas Vazquez are also doubtful.

Liverpool will rely on the speed and creativity of their attack line led by Salah, while Real Madrid will have to rely on Luka Modric's experience and Jude Bellingham's brilliance to create chances. Vinicius Junior's absence is a big challenge for Ancelotti in dealing with pressure from Anfield's atmosphere.

The game is expected to be fierce, with Liverpool looking to cut off a string of bad results against Real Madrid, while the reigning champions are trying to avoid a third defeat in the group stage for the first time in their history.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Kelekerat; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Nunez

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1):Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Camavinga, Modric; Guler, Bellingham, Diaz; Mbappe