An unpleasant start to the season for Liverpool was made worse when Real Madrid came to town. Now, on the heels of a shocking loss to Newcastle over the weekend, the Anfield club has to trek to Spain and the Bernabeu. That's unlikely to be very much fun for Liverpool fans.
Real Madrid vs. Liverpool, 2014 UEFA Champions League: Time, TV schedule and game preview
Can Liverpool perform better against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu better than they did at Anfield?
Alex Livesey
Real Madrid stand atop La Liga and have yet to lose in the league this season, and have won all three of their Champions League matches in the group so far to stand six points clear of everyone else in Group B. Cristiano Ronaldo has already scored a stunning 20 goals for Madrid this season, and is in the midst of an incredible 12 match scoring streak for his club. Liverpool, meanwhile, have struggled with injuries, form, and tactics, and stand an unimpressive seventh in the English Premier League, and have won just one of their Champions League matches.
Key player - Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)
Liverpool's teenaged winger was incredibly explosive last season, but this season over-use and the side's struggles as a whole have left his form frustratingly inconsistent. If Liverpool are going to get anything out of this match, though, it's almost certainly going to come on the counter attack, and that means it's going to have to run through Sterling and his blistering pace.
Champions League
Key Matchup - Jordan Henderson vs. Luka Modric
Games are won or lost in midfield, and that's an area that Liverpool have struggled in this season. During the match between these teams at Anfield, the momentum of the match turned in a big way as soon as Real started involving Modric more in their buildup play, and that came in no small part because Liverpool were trying to mark him with Steven Gerrard, who has struggled defensively for over a year now. The only Liverpool midfielder who can truly hope to contain Modric is Henderson, and if that can be accomplished, that would at least serve to limit Real's options.
Real Madrid injuries and suspensions
Out: Jesé (knee), Dani Carvajal (hamstring), Fabio Coentrão (knee), Asier Illarramendi (knock), Sami Khedira (knock). In doubt: Gareth Bale (gluteus)
Liverpool injuries and suspensions
Out: Mamadou Sakho (knee), Jon Flanagan (knee), Suso (groin), Jose Enrique (knee). In doubt: Daniel Sturridge (calf)
Real Madrid are likely to get Bale back, which is bad news for Liverpool. They struggled enough against Real Madrid without one of the best wingers out there in the lineup two weeks ago, and if he starts tomorrow that’s going to stretch an already-beleaguered back line even thinner. Liverpool are hoping to get a boost in their attack with Sturridge, but that seems more questionable, although he did travel with the squad for the first time in too long after being hurt for the last two months. Considering the lethality of Real’s attack and the shakiness of Liverpool’s defense, though, Sakho might be the bigger miss as the Reds continue to wait for his knee to heal.
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 8:45 pm local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
TV: Fox Sports Plus (U.S. - English), Fox Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), ITV 1 (U.K.), Sportsnet (Canada - English), TVE La 1 (Spain)
Online: Fox Soccer 2GO (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada)
