Real Madrid is the defending champion, but Los Blancos’ 2022-23 journey could come to an end sooner than expected. It’s because, in the first round of the UCL knockout stage, they’re taking on Liverpool who will probably go all-in.
Liverpool vs Real Madrid Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Liverpool | +138 |
| Draw | +250 |
| Real Madrid | +179 |
| Goals Over/Under | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 2.5 Goals | -149 |
| Under 2.5 Goals | +120 |
*Odds taken from bet365 on Thursday, February 16, 2023.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Anfield, Liverpool, England
- Date: Thursday, February 21, 2023
- Time: 3:00 PM ET
- How to Watch: CBS
Liverpool’s Only Chance to Win Silverware
The Reds from Liverpool are sitting in the middle portion of the Premier League table with almost 20 points fewer than the table leaders. That said, they practically stand no chance of winning the Prem this season. Jurgen Klopp’s men are also out of the two English cups – the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
What this means is that their only chance to salvage the 2022-23 season is to win the Champions League. Their form suggests they don’t have a good chance of making this dream come true, but the fact is that they do have a pretty decent roster. The only problem is that many of their key men are injured.
In fact, injuries are what caused Liverpool to play poorly throughout this campaign. The good news, however, is that some of their crucial players are going to return within the next couple of weeks – Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Virgil van Dijk, etc.
With these guys in top shape, the Reds do look capable of challenging the UCL trophy. But can they knock Real Madrid out of the competition without those guys on the pitch?
Los Blancos Seem to Love Playing Against Liverpool
Real Madrid won five of their last five duels with Liverpool. The last time they lost to the Reds was in 2009. Further, the last time these two met, Los Blancos defeated the Reds 1-0. It happened last year in the Champions League Final at Stade de France in Paris.
Even though Liverpool had significantly more goal chances than Real, the Spanish heavyweight managed to make its chances count. Los Blancos had only one shot at goal, and it went it.
We expect to see Carlo Ancelotti go with basically the same tactic this coming Tuesday. His team will be the one to defend at Anfield, looking for their chances from set-pieces and counterattacks.
Liverpool vs Real Madrid Prediction
Despite being far from impressive this entire season, Liverpool have been great at home. At Anfield, they’ve only suffered one loss this season, which is proof of how important home turf is for this team. We expect them to play well on Tuesday, meaning that we’re almost 100% certain they’re not going to lose. But can they beat the reigning UCL champions?
We think they might. Liverpool will go all-in as the Champions League is the only competition in which they can win a trophy.
Picks: Liverpool to win and over 2.5 goals