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Liverpool v Real Madrid
Tuesday 10 March 2009, Anfield
Kickoff: 19:45
Liverpool
Liverpool defeated Real Madrid 1-0 away in the first leg of their Champions League Fixture, making it three Champions League wins in a row and nine straight undefeated matches in this season’s competition.
The Reds have won six (three away from home) and drawn three (two away from home) of their nine matches so far. Liverpool have scored 13 times (7 away from home) and conceded 5 goals (3 on the road) and qualified as winners of their group.
Liverpool will have to do without Yossi Benayoun, who injured his hamstring in training, and Fernando Torres, Alvaro Arbeloa and Daniel Agger will all be late decisions for the match, as their fitness is still in doubt.
Liverpool will also be without Albert Riera, who picked up a suspension in the first leg Real Madrid v Liverpool match after collecting a yellow card.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid lost 1-0 at home against Liverpool in the first leg of the fixture, to end their two game winning streak in the Champions League.
Real Madrid have lost three (twice at home) on their way to this second-leg fixture and have found the back of the net 9 times (5 at home) and conceded 6 times (3 at home) in this season’s competition and qualified as runners-up to Juventus in their group.
Real Madrid have no current injury concerns.
Prediction
Liverpool defeated Real Madrid 1-0 at the Bernabeu two weeks ago and will carry a crucial away goal lead into this match.
With both teams lagging behind the leaders in their respective domestic leagues (with Liverpool in 3rd place, 7 points behind leaders Man Utd and Real Madrid in 2nd place, 6 points behind leaders Barcelona), both sides may put their attentions towards European glory as their title chances slip away at home.
Liverpool will want to put their recent terrible Premier League form behind them, and may look to this big fixture as a way to revive their domestic campaign in order to find the form that will secure a spot in next year’s Champions League, if not to reignite their all-but-dead Premiership Title hopes.
Real Madrid’s La Liga title hopes are also looking further out of reach with each passing week, and so the world’s wealthiest football team will look to continue their past glory as the most successful club to date in Europe’s most prestigious football tournament.
With the home advantage in their favour, as well as a good European record this season, Liverpool will go into this match as slight favourites for victory. Liverpool have not beaten a Spanish club at home since 2001, but Real Madrid have not won a European match on English soil since 2000.
As such, The Reds will look to continue their Champions League run this season by either posting a narrow victory over Madrid, or more likely on current form, by shutting down the match and grinding out a goalless draw to progress to the next round of the tournament on aggregate.
Read the complete Liverpool v Real Madrid preview with the best online football odds at Sports Betting Review.
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