Cristiano Ronaldo Names Anfield His Most Difficult Ground, Says Alvaro Arbeloa

Cristiano Ronaldo has warned his Real Madrid team-mates they can expect a hellish time when stepping onto the Anfield pitch to face Liverpool, according to former Reds defender Alvaro Arbeloa.

The European Champions are currently top of Group B heading into Wednesday's match, having won both of their prior fixtures against Basel and Ludogorets.

While things haven't been so simple for Liverpool—who posted a narrow win over the latter and loss against the Swiss side—Arbeloa admits Los Blancos are readying themselves for a "once in a lifetime experience," reported by David Maddock of the Mirror:

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Even Cristiano has mentioned in the past this is the most difficult ground he has visited, in his days in the Premier League. We know their crowd will make an incredible atmosphere. I know they didn’t play as well as expected at the weekend, but even if they lost 10-0 at QPR, I would still be coming here worried.

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Arbeloa continued by saying, "I've told my team-mates what to expect, but I don't think I can warn them really, because it really is the sort of thing that you must experience for yourself." He said "it's tough to put into words what it's like here," saying, "I think I will allow my team to understand that for themselves," per Maddock's report.

Aside from the former Liverpool right-back, ex-Premier League stars Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Javier Hernandez—who is on loan from Manchester United—are expected to feature. It's Ronaldo's connection to the Red Devils that is likely to cause a major reaction, as he spent six years romping through English defences with the Old Trafford club.

He has never scored at Anfield, however. Despite netting against Liverpool at the Theatre of Dreams, this tidbit has grabbed plenty of attention heading into the fixture.

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It is being used as a beacon of hope for the home side—perhaps more so than the fact Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos will miss the match, per Maddock—as the Reds look to up their performance considerably after narrowly beating QPR 3-2 courtesy of two own goals.

Ronaldo is in sensational form this season, as he has been for most of the year. He has 17 goals across nine La Liga and Champions League appearances already this campaign, per WhoScored.com. Sky Sports posted a comparison with Liverpool's team stats, including the individual's international matches, via 101 Great Goals:

The Portuguese player is also on the brink of breaking the all-time Champions League goalscoring record. A hat-trick would smash Raul's record and leapfrog Lionel Messi into taking the headlines as both close in on the current highest total of 71.

At his current rate, Ronaldo is just a few games away from reaching another career milestone, per Sky Sports:

Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti warned Liverpool fans that jeers will only aid Ronaldo's game. He said such abuse "motivates" CR7, reported by Anthony Kastrinakis of The Sun (h/t ESPN FC), before admitting he is looking forward to "an exciting game between two great sides," per Maddock.

"Every time I am here in this stadium it is a little bit special because of the atmosphere, and we are here to enjoy this special place," said Ancelotti, who is the only manager to emulate Liverpool legend Bob Paisley by winning the European trophy three times.

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Whatever your affiliation, there's no doubt a potential cracker of a game lies ahead. Real Madrid are followed by a special hubbub no matter where they travel, but Anfield remains one of the continent's most characteristic grounds, despite the side's five-year absence from the Champions League.

Brendan Rodgers will feel his side have it in them to cause an upset. Even after a poor start to the season, the Northern Irishman will be telling his side they can match the Spanish outfit all over the pitch. The link between Ronaldo and Benzema will certainly be key now that Bale is missing, but Madrid have the likes of Isco to fill in, so the quality doesn't cease.

Liverpool specialist Matt Ladson told B/R UK's Ryan Bailey how the home side can take victory:

Mario Balotelli is destined to receive plenty of attention after his string of poor performances. This could be the night he turns his Liverpool career around and announces himself to the home fans. Despite his goal against Ludogorets, he continues to appear lazy and uninterested in the Reds' front line. The Italian will need to be on top form if he's selected, as a fully firing Balotelli could make the difference.

Both teams will head into this with optimism. Ronaldo's showing is destined to define the contest, so it will be interesting to see how Rodgers plans to deal with the 2013 Ballon d'Or winner. Should Ronaldo finally break his Anfield duck, Liverpool's tough night may become nigh on impossible.