Real Madrid v Liverpool match predictions: Reds can get their noses in front

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Real Madrid v Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 2, 8pm Tuesday

Best bet

Liverpool draw no bet
2pts 10-11 Betfred

Team news

Real Madrid
Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos and Eden Hazard miss out and Raphael Varane joins them on the sidelines after becoming a late absentee, but Federico Valverde makes the squad.

Liverpool
Centre-back trio Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are long-term absentees.

Match preview

Liverpool have been far more convincing in Europe than the Premier League and can stay on track to reach a third Champions League final in four years by defeating Real Madrid in Spain.

The quarter-final contest between 13-time winners Real and six-times winners Liverpool has been eagerly anticipated even though neither team have been at their best for much of the campaign.

However, Liverpool's 3-0 success at Arsenal on Saturday was their most convincing performance of 2021 and sets them up perfectly for a crucial stage of the season.

The draw has opened up nicely for Liverpool, who can reach the final without having to face Manchester City or either of last season's finalists, Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain.

And, while Real will not be taken lightly, the Spanish side are 11-1 sixth favourites in the outright betting.

Winning the Champions League is always a high priority for Real but their best chance of silverware could be in La Liga if they can see off Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in a tight title race.

Atletico have topped the table since December but they lost 1-0 at Sevilla on Sunday – allowing Real and Barca to close to within three and four points of the summit.

The pressure seems to be getting to Atleti, who have dropped points in four of their last seven league games, and the key match of the run-in could be this Saturday's Clasico.

It promises to be a defining period of the season for Real and they approach it in good spirits having gone unbeaten in their last 11 matches.

Zinedine Zidane would love to have a fully fit squad but he is without injured captain Sergio Ramos and has to be careful with Eden Hazard, who is closing in on full fitness but hasn't started a game since January.

Liverpool have got used to coping with injuries and remain short of experience in defence without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.

But Jurgen Klopp has been getting better at protecting his under-strength rearguard and was hugely satisfied after watching his team cruise to three points at the Emirates on Saturday.

Arsenal had scored nine goals in their previous four league games but barely laid a glove on Liverpool and lost the shot count 16 to three.

Having shown they could subdue the Gunners' front four of Pepe, Martin Odegaard, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, Liverpool can cope with Real, who lost their attacking X-factor when Cristiano Ronaldo departed in the summer of 2018.

Karim Benzema has done his best to fill the void – topping the Real scoring charts for three successive seasons – but the modern Real team are more reliant on keeping clean sheets than moments of attacking inspiration.

They have defended reasonably well in La Liga, conceding 23 goals in 29 games, but have looked less comfortable in the Champions League.

Los Blancos shipped at least two goals in four of their group-stage matches and may struggle to cope with Liverpool, who can return to Anfield with their noses in front.

Key stat

Liverpool have won six of their last seven away matches.

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