Liverpool vs Real Madrid Champions League Preview

Liverpool hosts Real Madrid in tonight’s Champions League tie which promises to be a mouth-watering encounter between the two European giants.

Matchday 3 will provide a thrilling clash for the fans as defending champions Real Madrid visit their Group B opponents Liverpool. The Merseyside club have won the Champions League a total of five times, the last time being nearly a decade ago in 2005 against AC Milan. Real on the other hand have won it on twice as many occasions, with them clinching their highly anticipated 10th title last season against Atletico Madrid.

Although Liverpool have won the coveted cup five times, they have been absent from the competition for a total of four years so many new players have tasted European experience. Gambling news reports that this might prove a stumbling block for them which Real Madrid will look to capitalize on and take advantage of to score the vital 3 points.

Football landscape has changes since Liverpool last won the CL

• Liverpool have been absent from CL for 4 years

• Spaniards looking to defend their title

• Real’s Ronaldo aims to become CL top scorer tonight

Tonight’s game won’t be the first time the two sides have met in the elite competition. They have previously played each other when former Spanish manager Rafa Benitez was still in charge of The Reds. During the 2008-2009 CL season the two teams face each other on the last round of 16 where the Merseyside club recorded an impressive 5-0 win on aggregate. However, since then a number of things have changed and so has the football landscape.

Barcelona went on to claim their 3rd Champions League trophy that particular season and the year afterwards would mark their last appearance in the competition for a period of four years, a fact that many fans couldn’t stomach. They haven’t recorded much success since clinching the prestigious title back in 2005, which is remembered by many fans as one of the most remarkable comebacks in European football history.

Liverpool came from 3-0 down at halftime and managed to overturn the result and later won on penalties to seal their 5th title. But following that success they weren’t able to replicate the same performances. What is really bad news for The Reds is that Real Madrid are no longer focused on winning “La Decima” (10th CL crown), so now they will be able to relax a bit, which might make them even more dangerous as there will be no pressure on them.

Real Madrid are favorites against The Reds

Online sportsbooks in the UK are favoring the defending champions to win the match, although it will probably be a tight one considering the environment Los Blancos will play in. Bet365 has assigned odds of 1.85 (17/20) for the Spaniards, while Liverpool hasn’t been given great chances for success with odds being 4.33 (10/3). A draw between the two has been set at 3.90 (29/10), an outcome that might be likely is The Reds get lucky.

Ronaldo is enjoying amazing form and will be looking to put his name on the scoresheet to tonight as he looks to dethrone his former teammate Raul from the perch of the Champions League top scorers. The Portuguese wide-man is currently on 69 goals in the competition and is just two shy of equaling Raul’s record of 71 goals. Anfield will provide the necessary platform for him tonight as he aims to write his name in the annals of the Champions League.

Mobile betting provider Bet365 believes that Ronaldo has a great chance of adding his name on the scorers list and thus become on par with Raul’s goals or maybe even pass him and set a new record. He is the absolute favorite to find the back of the net with odds being 1.80 (4/5). Taking into consideration Real Madrid’s outstanding squad, almost no team can match in terms of consistency and form, something that will be a hard challenge for Liverpool.