Real Madrid vs Liverpool preview: How to watch, team news, prediction and more | OneFootball

Real Madrid and Liverpool face off in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, with the Reds having a mountain to climb to go through.

Three weeks ago, Real inflicted a record European home defeat on them when they ran out 5-2 winners at Anfield. The scoreline was all the crazier when you remember Liverpool went two up in a rocket fuelled start to the game.

That loss and Saturday's 1-0 loss at Bournemouth came in an otherwise excellent run of Premier League form for Jurgen Klopp’s men, which included a 7-0 humiliation of their greatest rivals, Manchester United. Despite their season-long inconsistencies, they are right in contention for Champions League participation next season. Not that they will want to bow out this year without a proper fight, but it’ll need a comeback to top Istanbul and Barcelona 2019 for this to happen.

Here is everything you need to know about the game as Real Madrid and Liverpool fight for a spot in the last eight.

When do Real Madrid play Liverpool?

The match takes place on Wednesday 15th March with a kick-off time of 8pm (UK Time).

Where will Real Madrid vs Liverpool be played?

The second leg will be played at the Bernabeu, with Real being the first seed in the tie.

Where can you watch Real Madrid vs Liverpool?

The match is live for UK viewers on BT Sport 1 with coverage starting at 19:00 (GMT).

For those viewing on Sky, the channel is 413 and for those on Virgin, the channel is 527.

How can you live stream Real Madrid vs Liverpool?

With the match on BT Sport, it will also be available to view on both the BT Sport Player and Sky Go on mobile/computer/tablet.

Of course, you will need a BT subscription for this.

What happened in the first leg?

As mentioned in the intro, Liverpool were quick out of the traps and found themselves in a 2-0 lead after 14 minutes through goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, the second coming as a result of an absolute howler from Thibaut Courtois in the Madrid nets.

Alisson returned the favour before halftime, as his clearance rebounded off Vinicius Jr. and into the net. This made it 2-2 at halftime after the brilliant Brazilian had already smashed Real back into the game. These two goals made Vini the first player to score five times against the Merseysiders in a European competition.

The second half was a one-way demolition as Real went ahead through a combination of Eder Militao’s header and shambolic Liverpool defending.

Karim Benzema compounded the misery with two more goals, the second a lesson in the art of composed finishing.

It has left the Reds’ Champions League hopes hanging by a thread and served as another reminder that Los Blancos simply have their number in the competition.

This recent domination has included two Champions League final victories (2018 & 2022) and a quarter-final win in 2021. If, as expected, Real progress again, it will mean that in Jurgen Klopp’s six seasons with Liverpool in the competition, he will have been knocked out four times by Real and once by Atletico Madrid.

2018/19 saw the Reds capture their sixth European crown, with the final hosted in, you guessed it, Madrid.

Games between Liverpool and Real Madrid (all in the Champions League)

Form guide – last five games in all competitions

Liverpool L-W-W-L-W: As noted, Liverpool have been up and down all season. A win at Newcastle was followed by the first leg hammering which was then responded to with two wins against Wolves and Manchester United, the second a record win in the fixture between the clubs. A 1-0 loss at then-bottom side Bournemouth came next. Try working that out.

Real Madrid W-D-L-D-W: Real have been inconsistent as well, although not to the extent of their opponents. The 5-2 win at Anfield did not serve as momentum for their domestic campaign, with draws against Atletico and Real Betis coming either side of a loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Cup. A 3-1 win against Espanyol on Saturday was much needed but it feels likely Europe is their best chance of silverware this season.

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 06: Thiago Alcantara of Liverpool in action during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 06, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Liverpool's lengthy injury list is gradually shortening, with Thiago, Arthur, Luis Diaz and Calvin Ramsay now their only first team players out, via Transfermarkt

Real will be without both Ferland Mendy and David Alaba for the second leg, which will require Carlo Ancelotti to again use either Eduardo Camavinga or Nacho out of position as he has done in recent works, via Transfermarkt.

Predicted Lineups

Liverpool Predicted Starting XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Bajcetic, Fabinho, Henderson; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez

Match prediction

Real Madrid 2-2 Liverpool: The Reds have been back in the goals of late and simply have to attack from minute one. This should mean they both score and leave themselves open to the counterattack, which hopefully makes for a brilliant game.