Liverpool Fans Warned Not to Boo Cristiano Ronaldo by Carlo Ancelotti

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has told Liverpool fans to boo Cristiano Ronaldo at their own peril when the former Manchester United man returns to Anfield on Wednesday night.

Ronaldo won nine trophies in six years with United, Liverpool's fierce rivals, before moving to the Bernabeu. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner is a prime candidate to land the individual prize once more next year after leading Madrid to La Decima, but he can expect a hostile reaction when he steps onto the Merseyside pitch.

Ancelotti suggests Ronaldo will head into the game focused like any other but will gain an extra zest to his play if the stadium fires abuse his way.

When asked about the situation, Ancelotti told this to Anthony Kastrinakis of The Sun (h/t ESPN FC): "No, ha, ha, he won't be more motivated because it's Liverpool. Cristiano is always super-motivated. But if the atmosphere is hostile it motivates him more."

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The warning is an ominous one.

Ronaldo has scored in nine consecutive club matches since the end of August, including a brace during Saturday's 5-0 win over Levante, per WhoScored.com. He already has an incredible 15 goals in seven La Liga appearances, not to mention two in two European performances this campaign. Last season, Ronaldo netted a record-breaking 17 during Madrid's route to the European title.

Ancelotti's side beat Basel 5-1 and Ludogorets 2-1 in its opening two Champions League fixtures. A late penalty saw Liverpool overcome the latter at home, while they were dominated in a 1-0 loss to Basel in Switzerland.

Avoiding defeat is extremely important for Brendan Rodgers' side. With a loss, it would be six points behind Madrid ahead of visiting the group leaders in Spain. Should Basel grab six points from Ludogorets, the Premier League side may need to settle for a place in the Europa League.

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Ahead of Madrid's visit, ESPN FC provided a smidgen of hope for the hosts:

Meanwhile, 101 Great Goals posted a screen from Sky Sports that highlights the prolific nature of Ronaldo's form:

Liverpool expert Matt Ladson told B/R UK's Ryan Bailey how the Reds can keep Madrid at arm's length:

It is entirely likely Ancelotti will deploy Javier Hernandez—who is currently on loan at Madrid from United—in the reported absence of Gareth Bale, per BBC Sport. The Mexican has scored at Anfield, and like Ronaldo, he has also netted against the Reds at Old Trafford. He should expect boos, despite not receiving them during his appearances for United at Anfield.

Liverpool need a dramatic improvement in order to gain a positive result. Rodgers' men were lucky to escape the match against Queens Park Rangers with a win after two own goals in their favour. The defence's inability to deal with Bobby Zamora was alarming and allowed the 33-year-old forward to have a significant impact on the game before he became tired.

Ronaldo, Hernandez, Karim Benzema and their team-mates won't succumb to the pitfalls of age. Rodgers' side needs its best performance of the season to produce a potential turning point for the campaign. The continent will certainly take notice if Liverpool defeat the European champions.

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Anfield remains a challenging ground to visit no matter who you are, particularly as the crowd's enthusiasm can make a major difference. Should the energy of supporters focus on their own team, not Ronaldo, Liverpool's players are likely to up the tempo rather than receive a deafening reminder that Madrid's main danger man is in possession.