The greatest rivalry in modern European football reignites tonight as Real Madrid visit Anfield. For Liverpool, this isn’t just a Champions League fixture – it’s a chance to exorcise the ghosts of recent finals and show the continent that Arne Slot’s era, fresh from that vital 2-0 win over Aston Villa, is ready to compete at the very highest level.
That win on Saturday, which saw a brilliant milestone goal for Mohamed Salah and a much-needed clean sheet, offered a huge dose of confidence. The recent run of poor form is hopefully behind us, but facing the reigning La Liga leaders, managed by our old friend Xabi Alonso, is a completely different prospect. We know that when the lights come on, Anfield is an absolute fortress, especially in this competition, and that energy will be vital to disrupt the visitors.
Madrid arrive in red-hot form, led by Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé, who is already shattering goal records in Spain. Their central midfield of Tchouaméni and Camavinga is relentless, giving them the control needed to launch devastating counter-attacks. For the Reds, the focus must be on aggression and a high press from the first whistle, suffocating the opposition.
The news that Alisson and Alexander Isak are still unavailable is a blow, placing more pressure on the established core like Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch, who had an influential weekend, scoring again. We must dominate the wide areas and use the pace of our front line to test their back four.
The past few years against Real Madrid have been frustrating, but on Tuesday night, under the lights of Anfield, the script must change. This is the opportunity to secure a crucial win in the league phase and send a message.
