Liverpool vs Real Madrid Prediction: Back Real’s Fitness to see them to 2nd Half W

This is that one Champions League tie each week where you put TNT Sports on and take 30 seconds to remember that this is an Amazon Prime Exclusive. So that is where you'll need to go to watch the tie of Match Week 4 as Real Madrid travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool.

Our La Liga Betting Expert got the assignment for this one coming on the back of going two for two with his selections in Real's La Liga match at the weekend. You can check out his thoughts along with his Liverpool vs Real Madrid Predictions as he takes us through his full match preview, right here on Betfred Insights...

*For all of our Football Odds then head on over to betfred.com

Match Preview: 

Liverpool and Real Madrid renew their European rivalry at Anfield on Tuesday night. The two clubs have contested three finals in this competition, and they're meeting for the second season running in the league phase of the recently expanded Champions League. 

Last November's meeting, which also took place on Merseyside, came at a time when Liverpool were flying under Arne Slot. Their 2-0 victory was deserved, and was their 14th win in the space of 15 matches in all competitions. By contrast, Real Madrid were already deep into their final-season decline under Carlo Ancelotti, with an out-of-form Kylian Mbappé's penalty miss compounding a bad night for Los Blancos. 

One year on, the Frenchman is flying, and the roles have largely been reversed. It's the Reds who are currently wobbling, while Madrid are the team in great form under new management. They can record their 14th victory in 15 outings so far this season if they win at Anfield. 

These are two of the leading contenders to win the Champions League. Neither side is in any danger of being eliminated at this stage, but Liverpool's chances of finishing in the top eight will take a serious hit if they lose this game. 

They've already been beaten in Istanbul against Galatasaray during the league phase, one of six defeats in their last eight matches in all competitions. 

However, Slot's team were convincing 5-1 winners against Eintracht Frankfurt in their last Champions League match, while they put an end to a miserable run of domestic results with a 2-0 victory against Aston Villa on Saturday. 

It wasn't as though Liverpool suddenly found top gear again in that match. They survived some nervy moments, and were gifted the opener by a mistake from visiting goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. However, it was a timely morale boost and a more assured defensive display overall, as the English champions ended a 10-game wait for a clean sheet. 

Over in the Spanish capital, Real Madrid were taking on Valencia in La Liga at the same time on Saturday night, and it was just about a complete performance from Xabi Alonso's side. Their opponents barely threatened, with Jude Bellingham and Álvaro Carreras scoring the pick of the goals in a comfortable 4-0 victory. 

After his angry reaction to being substituted in the previous weekend's 2-1 Clásico win over Barcelona, Vinícius Júnior made headlines again, this time for taking and missing a penalty when Mbappé was on a hat-trick. That was only a minor negative on another good night for Real Madrid, who take the kind of momentum and belief into this week's trip to Liverpool that was badly lacking 12 months ago. 

There are a couple of additional sub-plots that only serve to further spice up this fixture. The first is Alonso's return to Anfield. The Basque was part of Liverpool's 2005 Champions League winning team and was widely touted as Jürgen Klopp's potential successor in 2024. 

The second is of course the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The 27-year-old was jeered by sections of the Liverpool fanbase even before he left to join Real Madrid in the summer. A frosty welcome is likely for the England international, although he's unlikely to start the game having only clocked up 13 minutes of football since August. 

Team News: 

Alisson Becker, Jeremie Frimpong, Alexander Isak and Curtis Jones all missed Liverpool's weekend win due to injuries. The latter two are the closest to fitness, with Jones returning to training on Monday, but this game may come too soon for Isak. 

As a result, we're not likely to see many changes from Slot. Florian Wirtz was the only Reds substitute to feature at the weekend, but the German may have to be content with a place on the bench again. 

Real Madrid are also not expected to make many alterations from their match on Saturday. Arda Güler is set to be fit, despite being replaced at half-time on Saturday. However, Franco Mastantuono is a fresh fitness concern. The Argentine youngster might have dropped out in any case, with Eduardo Camavinga potentially coming in to bolster the midfield. 

The visitors are also without the injured Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rüdiger, while back-up defender David Alaba is an additional doubt. 

Match Odds: 

There's nothing to split the teams in the Match Result market, with both sides on offer at 8/5 to win the game. You can back the Draw at 11/4. 

If you're expecting Slot's side to turn it on, you can back the Reds to score over 1.5 goals at 8/11, while they're on offer at 5/2 to score over 2.5 times. You can also back Liverpool to win and Over 3.5 goals at 18/5. 

Real Madrid are priced at 8/5 to score in both halves, while you can back the visitors to keep a clean sheet at 4/1. They are also available at 9/5 to be leading at the break, a winning bet in their last two matches. 

Mbappé leads the way as the 7/2 favourite to score first. He's also on offer at 10/11 to score anytime, having netted five times already in this competition this season. Bellingham also looks good at 13/5 to score anytime, having got on the scoresheet in each of his last three matches. 

From a home perspective, Hugo Ekitike looks set to lead the line again. You can back the Liverpool forward to score first at 11/2, or at 6/5 to score anytime. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah is priced at 7/5 to score anytime. 

*You can see all of our Liverpool vs Real Madrid Odds and betting markets over on betfred.com

Bet 1 - Under 3.5 goals @ 4/5 

The betting markets point towards a high-scoring game at Anfield, but this might be a bit tighter than many are expecting. While they had one very bad afternoon against Atlético, overall Real Madrid have been better defensively this season. 

They've kept clean sheets in 50% of their matches in all competitions, and haven't allowed more than Barcelona's 1.1 xG in any of their six games since losing the derby. Alonso showed in parts of El Clásico that he can be a more pragmatic, conservative coach if that's what the situation requires, and he may again opt for the safety net of an extra midfielder in this game. 

With Liverpool's attack not firing on a consistent basis, I'm backing Under 3.5 goals at odds of 4/5. That bet has landed in eight of the last 10 Reds matches in all competitions. 

Bet 2 - 2nd Half Result - Real Madrid @ 7/4 

This will be a quick turnaround for both teams, but that's likely to hit Liverpool harder than Real Madrid. 

Los Blancos were in cruise control with a 3-0 lead by the break against Valencia on Saturday night, which enabled them to take their foot off the gas and replace a few of their stars after the interval. By contrast, Liverpool had to work harder for their win over Villa, with 10 of their players completing the full 90 minutes. 

Given their injury problems, Slot will again be short on reliable options to turn to from the bench here. There's a danger they'll tire in the latter stages of this game, with the visitors blessed with much greater depth in midfield and attack. 

I'm expecting a strong performance from the visitors and I'm backing Real Madrid in the Second Half Result market at 7/4. 

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Mark Sochon P/L 25/26 Season:

• Points Staked: 77
• Points Returned: 76.30
• P/L: -0.70

You can check out Mark's Football Betting Tips along with those from the rest of the Betfred Insights Football writers on our Football home page...