Predicted Teams Liverpool-Real Madrid: Carlo Ancelotti and Arne Slot to improvise with full-backs | OneFootball

The headline Champions League fixture of the week pits two the most successful teams in European against each other, as Real Madrid travel to Anfield to face Liverpool at 21:00 CEST on Wednesday. It will be a Real Madrid side heavily impacted by injuries.

Carlo Ancelotti is without Eder Militao, David Alaba, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Carvajal, Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior for the clash, although he has gotten Lucas Vazquez back from injury. Whether he comes straight back in or not has been a subject of debate, after Fede Valverde performed well there over the weekend. Diario AS say that Ancelotti will use Fede Valverde at right-back, up against Luis Diaz.

Marca agree there, and both believe that it will be Luka Modric, and Brahim Diaz who come in for Vinicius and Arda Guler, with Dani Ceballos keeping his spot. Ancelotti also confirmed that Castilla product Raul Asencio will continue in central defence, while Kylian Mbappe is likely to start on the left side of attack, something he did for the fist time against Leganes in a 3-0 win.

Liverpool do have Trent Alexander-Arnold back against the team who are trying desperately to sign him, but manager Arne Slot made it clear that he was only going to start from the bench. Left-back Kostas Tsimikas picked up an injury and will miss out, but all of the talk is of how Los Blancos will keep up with their front three, consisting of Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah. Conor Bradley is likely to start in Alexander-Arnold’s absence, and he will be tasked with keeping Mbappe quiet. Alisson and Diogo Jota will also miss out through injury.