Liverpool v Real Madrid Betting Tips [21 February 2023]

A high-profile round of 16 matchup in the UEFA Champions League is set to kick off with the first leg between Liverpool and Real Madrid at Anfield. A rematch of the 2017/18 and 2021/22 finals, Liverpool will be desperate to get one over on their Spanish rivals after Madrid came out victorious in both of those meetings. They were also knocked out of the 2020/21edition in the quarter-finals by Los Blancos. Liverpool will hope that their fortunes are starting to shift after back-to-back Premier League wins over Everton and Newcastle. The most recent result was particularly impressive, dealing Newcastle their first home loss of the season in a 2-0 away win.

It’s been a trying season for the Reds who are languishing down in seventh-place in the Premier League standings. A run to the Champions League trophy would certainly make up for their disappointing domestic campaign, but Liverpool will have to overcome their bogey team if they are to advance to the quarter-finals - a team they haven’t defeated in their last six encounters. Liverpool finished second to Napoli in Group A of the Champions League to advance to this stage after a record of five wins and one defeat. 

On the other side, Real Madrid enter this fixture on a strong run of form after their Club World Championship success in Morocco. The defending champions were able to follow up with two consecutive La Liga wins, dispatching Elche 4-0 at home and picking up an important three points with a 2-0 away win against Osasuna on the weekend to keep their faint title hopes alive. Madrid are sitting second in the Spanish league, trailing rivals Barcelona by eight points with less than half of the campaign remaining. Madrid topped a group containing RB Leipzig, Shakhtar and Celtic with four wins, one draw and one defeat to advance to this stage. The famous Spanish club is seeking an incredible sixth Champions League trophy in the last 10 years as they have truly dominated this competition over the last decade. 

Both sides are dealing with injury concerns as Liverpool’s goal-scorer Darwin Nuñez was forced off on the weekend in the win over Newcastle. It’s unsure whether or not the Uruguayan will be fit for this matchup but Liverpool can call on the likes of Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota to shoulder the load. For the defending champions, star-man Karim Benzema missed the matchup against Osasuna. It’s clear that the Ballon d’Or winner was just being rested in preparation for this match and it would be a huge shock if he missed out. Madrid will also have to cope without the influential midfield presence of Toni Kroos and Aurelien Tchouameni as both will miss out.

This looks set for fireworks as these familiar opponents face off yet again. Both sides have been solid on the attacking side of the ball this season and should each be able to find the net. They’ve each been involved in a number of high-scoring matches this season; Madrid averages the third highest average goals per match number in La Liga at 2.86 while Liverpool ranks sixth in the Premier League with an average of 3.00 goals per match. Expect another high-scoring encounter here in what should be a highly-entertaining game. Our Liverpool vs Real Madrid prediction: both teams to score + over 2.5 goals