Liverpool and Real Madrid are two of the biggest football clubs in the world and they will meet on the pitch on February 21 in the Champions League Round of 16. The two teams are certainly no strangers to one another as they played in last year's Champions League Final.
Will Núñez Get The Nod?
Darwin Núñez had to come off due to a shoulder injury suffered in Liverpool's 2-0 win at Newcastle. But Jürgen Klopp said in his pre-match press conference that there is a chance Núñez will play as he did participate in training leading up to the match.
“There's a chance," Klopp said. "From all the possible scenarios, apart from being absolutely nothing; that's not the case. We have to see how he can deal with the pain [and] when we know that, we make a decision."
Facts & Figures
The matchup at Anfield feels big and the Reds could tie or break several records when they face Los Blancos. Mohamed Salah is currently tied with Steven Gerrard with 41 career goals in European competition. Should the Egyptian King find the back of the net, he would become the Reds' all-time leading scorer in that category. Liverpool will also be looking for a third consecutive home win against a Spanish side with the other two coming against Atletico Madrid and Villarreal. This season also marks the 8th straight time the Reds have faced a team from Spain in the Champions League and their 52nd overall tie with a Spanish club.
Real Talk
There are two ways you can prepare for Champions League opponents, look at their stats in their domestic league or the stats in Champions League play. In the Champions League, Liverpool and Real Madrid are nearly identical statistically. Through 6 games, the Reds lead 17 goals to 15. They also have more assists and a higher conversion rate. However, Real Madrid has had a better domestic campaign. They sit 2nd in La Liga behind Barcelona with 51 points and own a 16-3-3 record.
LFC Globe Verdict
It seems as if Liverpool is starting to turn the corner in the Premier League, but will that translate to continued Champions League success? The Reds have won 5 in a row in the competition after dropping the opener to Napoli. Whether or not Darwin Núñez can play in the match will be pivotal as Real Madrid has put up some big numbers offensively, so Liverpool need as many goal-scoring threats on the pitch as possible.
Where To Watch
Kickoff is set for 20:00 GMT from Anfield and will air on BT Sport. American audiences can stream the action on CBS or stream on Paramount+. In Canada. the game will air on DAZN. A complete list of Liverpool FC streams is also available.