Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Fierce Duel, Salah Challenges Mbappe at Anfield

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

JAKARTA - Liverpool and Real Madrid will meet again in an exciting Champions League match on Wednesday night, November 27, Thursday early 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 this season's competition, will face Real Madrid who are struggling to maintain consistency. Arne Slot's troops lead the Champions League standings with 12 points from four matches, while Real Madrid are still in 18th place in the new league system.

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

However, Real Madrid are no ordinary 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 come to Anfield after an impressive 3-0 win over Leganes in La Liga, but have faced tough challenges in the Champions League this season, including shock defeats to Lille and AC Milan.

Liverpool have received good news with the return of Harvey Elliott to the squad after recovering from a foot injury. However, Arne Slot is likely to still have to play without Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Of the four players, only Alexander-Arnold is likely to feature in this match.

The England right-back missed the dramatic clash against Southampton, which Liverpool won 3-2, last weekend. However, manager Arne Slot confirmed that Alexander-Arnold has the best chance of recovering compared to his injured teammates, with Alisson Becker (hamstring) and Diogo Jota (abdominal) almost certain to miss out.

Meanwhile, Federico Chiesa will also not be rushed back into the game, given his start to the season has been disrupted by fitness issues.

Should Alexander-Arnold recover in time, he would replace Conor Bradley at right-back. Meanwhile, Andy Robertson, who was less impressive in the last game, is likely to be replaced by Kostas Tsimikas at left-back.

Alexis Mac Allister is expected to return to midfield in place of Curtis Jones. Mac Allister will be joined by Ryan Gravenberch, who has made 30 recoveries in the Champions League this season – the most of any midfielder. Dominik Szoboszlai, who scored the opener against Southampton, is also expected to feature in attacking midfield.

The Reliable Trio

Up front, Luis Diaz, who scored a stunning hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen on matchday four, is likely to return to the left wing, with Darwin Nunez the main striker. Mohamed Salah, in consistent form, will be the mainstay on the right wing, despite his recent comments regarding his contract.

On the other hand, Real Madrid will be without several key players, including Vinicius Junior who has a hamstring injury. The Brazilian joins 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 pace and creativity of their attack led by Salah, while Real Madrid must rely on the experience of Luka Modric and the brilliance of Jude Bellingham to create chances. The absence of Vinicius Junior is a big challenge for Ancelotti in dealing with the pressure of the Anfield atmosphere.

This match is expected to be a tight one, with Liverpool looking to end a bad run of results against Real Madrid, while the defending champions are looking to avoid a third defeat in the group stage for the first time in their history.

Predicted Lineups

Liverpool (4-2-3-1):

Kelleher; 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