A big game awaits under the lights at Anfield tonight as Liverpool are to face previous Champions League winners Real Madrid in the last-16 tie. It is a repeat of last year’s final, just nine months after Madrid’s 1-0 victory.
Although Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League run this season has been some of their best performances, Jurgen Klopp’s side have faced serious backlash recently after their results in the Premier League have not sat right with fans. In the 36 games they have played this season, they have only won 16.
Tonight’s fixture is huge for the side to prove to the fans that times are changing despite the injury problems they are currently facing.
With Madrid not being at their best and Liverpool still finding their form, tonight’s match is expected to be full of action. Two of ex-Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti’s top players, Toni Kroos and Aurelien Tchouameni, are set to miss the game through injury.
However, their top goal scorer Karim Benzema is available for selection after missing their league game over the weekend.
For Liverpool, a massive boost has come in the form that forwards Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino and centre-back Virgil Van-Dijk have returned from injury, as well as striker, Darwin Nunez being cleared from an injury scare, he picked up against Newcastle on the weekend.
The Anfield Talk, a Liverpool news page on Twitter, is hoping fans are seated by 7:30pm as they believe having an almost full stadium for the warmup makes a huge difference in the atmosphere.
Some more excited than others, a group of fans set fireworks off outside the Innside Hotel on Old Hall Street at around 12am last night. Police attended the scene in the early hours of the morning.
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said in a statement: “We can confirm officers attended following reports of fireworks being set off outside a hotel in Liverpool city centre in the early hours of today.
“It is against the law to carry or use fireworks if you are under 18, and illegal for people of any age to let off or throw a firework in a public place. You must not set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, except on Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year.”
If you are hoping to watch the match, kick off is at 8:00pm tonight on BT Sport.
- What are the MNL news team’s score predictions? Here are their forecasts:
Annie Davies 2-1 Liverpool
Ryan Everett 1-0 Liverpool
Matt Welch 1-1
Brandon Sutton 3-1 Real Madrid
Steve Harrison 3-1 Liverpool
Matt Markey 2-1 Liverpool
Shay McGurrin 2-2
Ollie Nolan-Davies 3-0 Real Madrid
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMYSdMBbe/ in collaboration with Ryan Everett.
Featured Image by Annie Davies
