This week's Champions League action 

features a thrilling encounter as Liverpool 

host Real Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday 

night. Arne Slot's Liverpool are currently 

leading the revamped league phase, proudly

 holding the only perfect record in the 

competition after a stunning 4-0 victory over 

Bayer Leverkusen on matchday four.

The hosts are the favourites ahead of the 

clash at 17/20 with CopyBet while the 

reigning European champions are 14/5 to 

win at Anfield and a draw is 13/5. The Reds 

are not only excelling in Europe but also 

dominating domestically, with a recent 3-2 

triumph over Southampton extending their 

lead at the top of the Premier League by 

eight points.

In contrast, Real Madrid have had a shaky 

start to their Champions League defence, 

suffering two defeats in their first four 

matches, including a recent 3-1 loss to AC 

Milan on home soil. Nevertheless, Carlo 

Ancelotti's team have found form in La Liga,

 winning four of their last five games and 

closing the gap to Barcelona to just four 

points, with a game in hand.

Harvey Elliott returns to the matchday squad 

after recovering from a foot fracture, marking

 his first appearance in over two months. 

However, key players Alisson Becker 

(hamstring), Diogo Jota (abdominal), 

Federico Chiesa (fitness), and Trent 

Alexander-Arnold (hamstring) were absent

 from the lineup. Manager Arne Slot has 

hinted that Alexander-Arnold might be the 

only one from this group who could make a 

comeback for Wednesday's clash against 

Real Madrid, following a somewhat 

concerning performance at St Mary's.

In preparation for the midweek fixture, 

Liverpool are likely to see Alexis Mac Allister 

and Luis Diaz reclaim their starting spots, 

replacing Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo as 

they did during Sunday's match.

Real Madrid face their own injury woes, 

particularly with the absence of Vinicius 

Junior. The Brazilian winger suffered a 

hamstring injury in their victory over 

Leganes, with no specified recovery timeline. 

Reports suggest he could be out for several 

weeks. He joins a lengthy injury list that 

includes David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Eder 

Militao (all knee injuries), Rodrygo (muscle 

issue), Aurelien Tchouameni (ankle), and 

Lucas Vazquez (muscle).

While Ancelotti hasn't ruled out Tchouameni 

or Vazquez for the Anfield trip, it's likely Real

 will field a similar squad to the one that beat

 Leganes. If Vinicius is unavailable, Brahim 

Diaz is expected to step up in attack, while 

defensive shortages might see Castilla 

graduate Raul Asencio make his Champions 

League debut.

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