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Three talking points ahead of Liverpool vs Real Madrid | UEFA Champions League RO16
The UEFA Champions League nights are celebrated and perceived differently in Madrid. For any normal club, the prestigious competition brings with it an aura of nerves. Even the best players in the world feel the pressure while stepping onto the field with the iconic anthem in the stands.
And then, there is Real Madrid. The record UCL winners enter the competition year after year breaking no sweat, confident as ever. As Jurgen Klopp said in his pre-match press conference, ahead of the contest at Anfield, the Merengues do not even have to play their best football to win.
The Merengues have a good record against Liverpool in recent years and have not lost to them in their last six meetings. They have scored four goals in their last three appearances at Anfield and did not concede a goal on all occasions.
A win on Tuesday would go a long way in securing a berth in the quarterfinals, given that the home leg is still to come. Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of the re-run of the last season’s UCL final.
1. The first ring of fire
Real Madrid fight on multiple fronts every year, but it is rightly said that their season only truly begins when their first UEFA Champions League game kicks off.
The men in white have owned the European competitions in recent years. The quality of the team is one factor leading to their consistent success, but the other undeniable reason is the sheer importance given to the trophy by the management.
The Champions League is Real Madrid’s priority, and there is never a lack of belief in the squad. Last season’s run in the event is a testament to the same, as Los Blancos pulled off sensational comebacks over PSG, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool on their way to glory.
This season is no different, and Tuesday’s clash will be the defending champions’ first of four ties on their way to anticipated glory.
Facing last year’s co-finalists in the Round of 16 would usually be a daunting proposition. However, Liverpool’s poor form this term only improves the confidence of Carlo Ancelotti’s men and sets up a favourable fixture.
The Merengues may not be in their best moment, but the Champions League never fails to awaken the beast inside. As Real Madrid return to European football for the first time after the World Cup, one can expect to see the well-oiled machine return to its imperial best at Anfield.
2. A wounded midfield
While the mentality is not a problem for Ancelotti’s side, they do have some big absentees for their trip to England that seed dilemma in the manager’s mind.
Both Toni Kroos and Aurelien Tchouameni have not recovered in time to board the flight to Liverpool and will miss the clash on Tuesday. Both players are very close to their return but have been excluded presumably to avoid any risks.
With two of his key starting players absent in the middle of the park, Ancelotti has serious issues to ponder. After all, it is often said that the midfield can make or break games, especially in Europe.
The pivot position is one that the Italian tactician need not stress over, for Eduardo Camavinga has proven to be more than capable of handling responsibilities. The Frenchman will replace Tchouameni as the defensive midfielder with Luka Modric almost certainly taking the second spot.
The dilemma on the night will be related to the third midfielder. A possible option could be to deploy Federico Valverde in his natural position in the middle of the park, replacing Toni Kroos. In such as setup, Marco Asensio and Rodrygo become serious targets to join Vinicius and Karim Benzema in the attack.
The second, and most probable option, appears to be the inclusion of Dani Ceballos. The Spanish ace could man the advanced midfield, with Valverde pushed to the right wing where he has flourished recently.
3. Big game, big player
The biggest news ahead of Real Madrid’s trip to Anfield is the return of Karim Benzema. The French striker was missing for the team’s clash against Osasuna at the weekend, having been rested with this very fixture in mind.
When one hears the name of the Champions League, it is almost impossible to not think of Benzema. The veteran has enjoyed hunting in Europe for years now, but his run last season made a mockery of the elite event.
When Real Madrid found themselves drowning, Benzema came to their rescue in unimaginable ways with consistency. He scored a hat-trick against PSG in the Round of 16 to pioneer a comeback before repeating the feat at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
In the semifinal that ensued against Manchester City, Benzema scored four times in two legs including the goal that kick-started their unreal comeback.
The 2022-23 season has not been as kind to the Ballon d’Or winner. In four UCL appearances so far, the 35-year-old is yet to open his tally. Yet, with the big games arriving, it is imminent that the striker will put on his goalscoring shoes and it could well begin at Anfield.
Five games into the new season, Real Madrid are firmly placed second in the La Liga standings with 12 points to their name. Only Barcelona with a perfect 15 sit ahead of them.
The one game Los Blancos dropped points in was against Real Betis, and they went on to turn the tables in their very next game against Rayo Vallecano with a 4-1 win at the weekend.
One cannot help but notice, however, that the team have struggled in both their away games so far this season – first a 2-1 win over Espanyol at the death and then a 1-0 defeat to Real Betis.
Tomorrow, they take on Elche in their third away game of the season, and there will be serious pressure on them to get a convincing result and do away with the away myths.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Elche vs Real Madrid.
Arda Guler deserves the start
Real Madrid’s performances this season have not always been the most convincing, but they manage to find a way to come out on top. The game against Rayo Vallecano was more of the same.
Los Blancos did well in the first half to drag away with the momentum, but they suffered after the break as the visitors began pressing and creating chances. Out of fatigue, Real Madrid struggled to keep up.
Everything changed, however, after Arda Guler was introduced off the bench. Replacing Yan Diomande, the young Turk took matters into his own hands and began creating chance after chance for Real Madrid.
All of a sudden, Los Blancos began controlling the game better than before and overtook the opposition’s dominance, making the final phase of the game easy.
Over all of the team’s games so far, Real Madrid have performed significantly better with Guler on the field. While he has played primarily on the right wing, there is also a growing sense of understanding that he could be the Kroos and Modric replacement the club needs.
In any case, the player has merited a starting spot in the team at this point, and he must be in the XI tomorrow night, likely replacing Diomande on the flank once more.
Mbappe’s away scoring record
Kylian Mbappe has been one of, if not the most important attacking assets for Real Madrid so far this season. He won the Pichichi award last season and is even one of the favourites for the Ballon d’Or.
There is, however, a surprising fact about the player’s goalscoring form that has gone under the radar. It is, needless to say a shocking one and has to do with his form scoring goals away from home.
As matters stand, Mbappe’s last goal away from home in La Liga came back in early February this year. It was at Mestalla against Valencia, and the player has not scored on the road in the league ever since.
After that game, Real Madrid played away against Osasuna, Mallorca, Real Betis and Sevilla and the forward did not find the back of the net on any occasion. Even in Europe, he only scored once away against Bayern Munich.
This season, the team have already played against Espanyol and Real Betis, and Mbappe did not score on either night. Notably, he has scored in all four home games in the meantime.
Having not scored away from home in La Liga for over six months, Mbappe will be keen to turn that record around tomorrow.
Preparing for the big test
The first massive domestic test for Real Madrid is set to take place this weekend when Los Blancos lock horns with local rivals Atletico Madrid in the season’s first Madrid derby.
In that sense, the clash tomorrow against Elche will be the team’s final match practice before the derby and becomes all the more important in terms of gauging the team’s preparation.
At this point in the season, Mourinho does not have a whole lot figured out in terms of his preferred ‘big game XI’ barring the usual suspects in Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham.
The midfield and defence, in particular, remain a grey area in terms of the manager’s pecking order and tomorrow’s game may serve as an early audition for the first big domestic game of the season.
Dean Huijsen, Ibrahima Konate and Antonio Rudiger have all featured as starting centre-backs for Real Madrid so far, and the situation at full-back is not very different.
Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold have both enjoyed starts at right-back while Marc Cucurella and Alvaro Carreras both have the manager’s trust at left-back.
Similarly, there is a battle in midfield for a starting spot in the double pivot between Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Bernardo Silva and Eduardo Camavinga.
Deciding which of the players are higher up on the pecking order, thus, is crucial ahead of the derby and that decision may well be based on tomorrow’s performances.
