Real Madrid vs Liverpool Prediction
Real Madrid vs Liverpool
Real Madrid are the popular pick to progress after thumping Atalanta 4-1 on aggregate in this season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) Round-of-16 (R16). By winning the home leg 3-1, Real have now recorded three successive UCL wins in Madrid prior to this clash, all coming after a won first half and one goal in their favour during the 31st-40th minute period.
Though they are favoured to make it five straight UCL QF ties between English and Spanish teams favouring the latter, Real have accrued an average of just 52.8% possession per game across their last five UCL knockout home clashes (W1, D1, L3). Across those same fixtures, the ‘Galacticos’ conceded a disappointing 7.0 shots on target per game.
Hoping to exploit this vulnerability, and at least take an ‘away goal’ back to Anfield, Liverpool must recreate the form that saw them beat Leipzig in the R16 to negotiate this tie. Both legs saw them win 2-0 after a goalless first half, and in turn – If excluding ET – ten (W8, L2) of Liverpool’s last 11 UCL games have favoured the first scorer to-nil.
Aiming to progress to a third UCL semi-final in just four years, Liverpool were level at HT in 62.5% of the eight wins shown above (W3, D5), meaning that a 0-0 HT scoreline here would come as little surprise. Against opposition only from a top-five European league, the Reds’ FT record from their last ten post-group UCL matches standing 0-0 at HT, reads: W5, D3, L2.
Players to score: A four-time European champion with Real, Karim Benzema has seen six of his last seven right-footed UCL goals act as match openers. Meanwhile, two of Liverpool forward Sadio Mané’s three UCL goals this term have come inside the 46th-60th minute period.
Hot stat: Five of the last six UCL QF matches contested between Spanish and English teams have seen the first scorer win with a clean sheet.
Prediction: Real Madrid [1] vs [3] Liverpool