Liverpool vs Real Madrid Betting Tips (14/04/21) – Mission Improbable But Not Impossible for the Reds

There were shades of 2019/20 vintage Liverpool in the 2-1 win over Aston Villa. It wasn’t pretty at times, but a mightily effective performance from the Reds was enough to see them grind out victory against a game Aston Villa side.

Even after Ollie Watkins’ opener for the Midlanders – a goal Alisson won’t want to watch back on replay after he let the ball squirm through his grasp, Liverpool’s heads did not go down and they continued to attack the visitors.

And they thought they’d equalised when Bobby Firmino fired home, but celebrations were cut short when VAR adjudged Diogo Jota to be in an offside position – well, one of his arm hairs was, anyway.

But the Reds continued to cut through the Villa defence at will, and they finally got their reward early in the second half when Mo Salah nodded into an empty net after good work from Andy Robertson.

Villa had a few chances, make no mistake, but Liverpool deserved to win this game on the balance of play, and their perseverance was sated when Trent Alexander-Arnold picked up the ball just outside the Midlanders’ penalty area and curled a sumptuous finish low into the bottom left-hand corner.

Liverpool had 23 shots on goal – ten on target – during the game and could have scored three or four times – they looked excellent in attack. Defensive frailties aside, this was a performance that heralded somewhat back to the title-winning campaign.

While reflecting on a decent victory for his side, Jurgen Klopp was quick to turn his attention to Wednesday’s all-or-nothing Champions League clash with Real Madrid at Anfield.

“This [win] helps, of course,” he said immediately after the Villa game. “When you are in a moment, when you win every game and stuff like this, you don’t feel the intensity, you feel nothing – you want to play the next game. You could play the next game the next day.”

It will be very difficult for Liverpool to overcome a two-goal deficit to the Galacticos, of course, but an away goal at the Bernabeu certainly provides hope – at the end of the day, a 2-0 victory for the Reds will be enough to secure them a semi-final berth.

Can Liverpool overcome the odds once more?

Liverpool Team News

Getting the balance right will be absolutely crucial on Wednesday.

Yes, the Red need to score at least twice, but there is a need for them to keep a clean sheet to absolutely maximise their chances of progression.

Would there be a temptation to field Fabinho at centre back to steady the defence while adding a creative player in midfield? Many Liverpool fans would agree with that statement, but Klopp seems to be loyal to his young centre backs Ozan Kabak and Nat Phillips.

However, if it was up to us, we’d opt for something like the radical set-up shown below:

Real Madrid Form

It’s a case of as you were for Real Madrid, who sit one point behind their city rivals Atletico in the La Liga table.

The good news for Liverpool fans is that Real took on Barcelona on Saturday, and while the Galacticos claimed a 2-1 victory it was one of those nervy, energy-sapping games that are hardly ideal when trying to prepare for a Champions League quarter-final.

Unbeaten in ten domestic games now, Real will still have to make do without Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Lucas Vazquez – a key defensive trio. You could argue that the door is ajar, somewhat, for the Reds.

Liverpool vs Real Madrid Betting Tips

With both teams at their weakest defensively, you may see a contest where either side looks to protect their inexperienced backline with bodies in midfield.

Liverpool won’t hit the panic button too early, despite needing those two goals at the least, and for that reason our main pick for this game is Half with the Most Goals – Second at 20/21. That’s a market you can find with Betfred and many other firms.

Aside from that, this is a game that feels almost too close to call. There will be a certain cat and mouse feel to it, with real looking to score on the counter and defending in a deep block when the Reds have possession.

It will be interesting for Liverpool to play against a side with as many defensive woes as their own, and that’s one of the reasons we are backing them to win this game at 19/20 – hopefully, they will have enough of a winning margin to progress to yet another Champions League semi-final.