Champions League Preview: Real Madrid vs Liverpool

Match Overview: The Spanish giants face Liverpool in a clash between two of the most successful club sides in football history.

Liverpool:

Strengths: Hard to score in open play against, fast counter attacking play best suited to away ties, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

Weaknesses: Zonal marking from corners, if Gerrard and Torres don’t play then Liverpool Struggle. Insufficient depth in the squad in key positions.

Real Madrid:

Strengths: Excellent recent home form, key players hitting top form, Sergio Ramos and Raul.

Weaknesses: Expectation level of a full Bernabeu can filter out onto the pitch and can affect teams performance, Mixed squad harmony, recent signing Klaas Jan-Hunterlaar is already talking up a move away at the end of the season.

Preview:

As Real Madrid are the home side I would expect them to take the game to Liverpool, as there will be an influx of Spanish Internationals on display in both teams both will want to impress and set down a marker.

I expect Liverpool will sit back and soak up Real's pressure, they will look to exploit gaps in Real's defence using playmakers Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard’s distribution to lone front man Fernando Torres.

Liverpool’s main cause for concern will be that the goals have not been flowing lately and they will often over rely on their two star players to provide, also poor recent showings in the previous two games will ensure Benitez must simply select his strongest team available and not ticker around.

Real have improved a lot under the tutorship of Juande Ramos and their once leaky defence has been fortified by some solid displays.

It’s expected that the large El Santiago Bernabeu pitch will provide space and encourage flowing football.

If both Benitez and Ramos have fully fit squads to select from then I would envisage the following line ups:

Liverpool

GK -Reina

Defence-Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtle, Aurelio
Defensive midfielders: Alonso, Mascherano
Midfield: Kuyt, Gerrard, Riera
Attack: Torres

Real Madrid

GK - Casillas

Defence - Ramos, Pepe, Cannavaro, Heinze
Defensive midfielders: Diarra, Sneijder
Midfield: Higuian, Van der Vaart, Robben
Attack: Raul

This will be a close game; and I can see plenty of goals in both games, Real to win by the odd goal at home then Liverpool to win at Anfield and ultimately go through the tie on goal difference.