
A crunch clash between the old foes awaits at the Anfield as Liverpool host Real Madrid in the 1st leg of the UEFA Champions League's Round of 16 on Tuesday (Early Hours of Wednesday in India).
It will be a monumental clash between the European giants as they lock horns for supremacy in the continental championship, with eyes on progressing to the quarter-finals.
Liverpool emerged as the second-placed team behind Napoli in Group A, while Real Madrid topped Group F. The familiar rivals have faced each other four times in the last five years, and the Spanish club have the significant upper hand in the tie.
Real Madrid won the Champions League final against Liverpool both in 2018 and 2022, as the Premier League giants were beaten finalists on both occasions. Liverpool themselves clinched the UCL title in 2019, after beating Tottenham in the final.
Liverpool have been struggling this season as the Reds currently sit at the 8th position in the Premier League table, 19 points behind leaders Arsenal. Jurgen Klopp has missed some of his key players throughout the season and they have failed to replicate previous seasons' quality on the field. But things have changed in the last couple of matches as they have won both their league games against Everton and Newcastle United.
Real Madrid have their own issues as the Spanish club find themselves 8 points behind Barcelona in the domestic league. The recently won Club World Cup title will definitely be a boost and current form has seen them winning six out of the last 8 fixtures across all competitions.

It will be a pivotal tie at Anfield for both teams, especially for Liverpool, who would aim to go to the return leg with an advantage.
The UCL tie between Liverpool and Real Madrid will be played on February 21 (February 22 in India). The match will be starting at 01.30 AM IST in the early hours of Wednesday (Late Night of Tuesday).
The match will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Ten network. Indian viewers can watch the match Live on Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony TEN 1 and Sony TEN 1 HD channels.
The match can be live-streamed on Sony Liv app and Website by Indian viewers.
The Liverpool vs Real Madrid match will be telecast Live on BT Sports in the UK. The Live telecast of the Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid will be on the CBS Sports Network in the USA.
Liverpool Starting XI vs Real Madrid: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Milner; Salah, Gakpo, Jota
Real Madrid Starting XI vs Liverpool: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba; Ceballos, Camavinga, Modric; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.