Champions League: Liverpool vs Real Madrid Betting Preview

Europe’s most prized competition returns this week with matchday five. Arguably the most intriguing fixture of the lot will see Champions League holders Real Madrid head to England to lock horns with Liverpool, who are in top form this term. The kick-off is scheduled for 3 PM ET at Anfield. Los Blancos is surprisingly 2-0-2 in group play so far and certainly needs three points here. As for the Reds, they haven’t dropped a single point and sit at the top of the UCL table so far. Below, we’ll preview the match and dive into the head-to-head history between the two historic clubs. 

Head-to-head info

Liverpool and Real Madrid have met 11 times overall, with the Spanish giants holding a 7-1-3 advantage. Madrid of course beat the Merseysiders in the 2022 showpiece by a score of 1-0 and also hammered them 6-2 on aggregate in the 2022-23 Round of 16. Liverpool’s last victory over Los Blancos was way back in the 2008-2009 edition of the Champions League.

Madrid finding their form

The defending LaLiga and UCL champions haven’t been as dominant as expected to begin the 2024-25 campaign considering they added both Kylian Mbappe and Endrick to their frontline in the summer. Madrid is way down in 10th spot in the Champions League standings and four points behind Barcelona in the LaLiga table.

However, Carlo Ancelotti’s squad is playing better as of late. They’ve won back-to-back league games, outscoring their opponents 7-0. Los Blancos hammered Osasuna on November 9 before putting three past Leganes on Sunday. Mbappe bagged his sixth goal of the LaLiga campaign to open the scoring before Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde both got in on the action as well. Madrid had 68% of the possession and didn’t allow a single shot on their own goal. It was a very impressive performance, but the opponent was not exactly difficult.

In the UCL, Los Blancos have tasted defeat in their last two games, falling to Barcelona and AC Milan. They conceded seven times during that span and scored just once. That is not the Real Madrid we’ve all grown used to seeing on the pitch, so you can certainly expect a better version on Wednesday. Despite Liverpool’s dominance so far, the Spanish outfit does have a track record of success against them. The visitors are a slim underdog for this affair at soccer betting sites.

Liverpool looks flawless

No Jurgen Klopp, no problem. The Reds are looking like the real deal this season, both in England and in Europe. Arne Slot’s men are now eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table with an impressive 10-1-1 record, bagging 24 goals while allowing just eight. In the Champions League, they’ve beaten Bologna, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, and AC Milan, conceding just once.

It’s common knowledge that Liverpool has one of the most versatile attacks in the world and they’re proving just that. Mo Salah is of course the star of the show. The Egyptian has already scored nine times and supplied 10 assists across all competitions. Salah was once again a factor on Sunday in a nailbiter 3-2 victory over Southampton, netting a brace, including the winner from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute.

To be honest, this match was one of the closest of the campaign for the Merseysiders. They’ve only tasted defeat once and that came way back in mid-September against Nottingham Forest. While winning the EPL and dethroning struggling Manchester City is one of their main goals, so is lifting the Champions League trophy for the first time since 2019 when they took down Spurs in the showpiece. Although Wednesday’s encounter isn’t a must-win, the Reds will be hungry to prove they can beat a daunting Madrid side who have had their number over the last decade. Liverpool is a -102 favorite at Sports Interaction.