Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool: Some Surprising Decisions Expected
Real Madrid officially began their preparations for the match against Liverpool after they were able to comfortably beat Eibar 2-0 in La Liga on Saturday night. There was a lot to see in regards to the UEFA Champions League clash during that night ranging from Zinedine Zidane’s chosen starters to the substitutions he made during the night.
Could we potentially see him name a very similar lineup on Tuesday night? It would be surprising but with Zidane as manager, nothing is out of the question.
Goalkeeper
The perfect way to prepare for a massive match for a goalkeeper is by getting a clean sheet in the match before it and that’s exactly what Thibaut Courtois did against Eibar. Had some good moments, showed his concentration and now it’s time to focus on the big fish ahead. The Belgian has been in sensational form for Los Merengues so far during this campaign and he’ll want to show it on the biggest stage yet when they take on Liverpool on Tuesday night.
Defenders
If we are to assume that Zidane will be deploying a similar lineup to what we saw against Eibar,y which is a sound assumption, then we’ll be seeing a three-man defense here at least when it comes to the offensive side of the tactics. Nacho Fernandez will be expected to continue playing instead of Sergio Ramos as the captain recovers from another injury while Ferland Mendy will also take his place as part of the three-man defense.
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The only expected change will be with Raphael Varane in the starting lineup after he was rested with Eder Militao the man taking his place. All of them will need to be at their absolute best to fight back against the wrath of Liverpool’s front three regardless of who Jurgen Klopp decides to pick on the day.
Update: Raphael Varane has tested positive for COVID-19. Militao will most likely start again.
Midfielders
I think that this is where most people can easily predict the starting players. When you have arguably the best midfield trio in Europe, you don’t make any changes to it unless it’s required.
Carlos Casemiro will start as the defensive midfielder. He has been in the best form of his career so far and even though he has already done damage to Liverpool in the past, he’ll want to do so again.
Luka Modric and Toni Kroos will be in front of the Brazilian. Modric started the game against Eibar but was replaced by the German after he has recovered from his recent injury and looks fit to start the upcoming match.
With three men in defense though, Zidane will deploy two wing-backs presumably and here is where things could get interesting. Lucas Vazquez will be starting as he has been over the past several months but that brings up the question of who will start on the left? Marcelo.
The captain (if chosen to start) started in the game against Eibar and had a really good night then was taken off during the match. Of course, that could be because he hasn’t played in some time and Zidane didn’t want him getting injured. Or could it also be because the manager has something else in mind for Tuesday night? When on form, Marcelo can cause problems for any team and he may be chosen to do so on Tuesday night.
Forwards
The main problem when it comes to this formation is that you kind of lose the positions that are perfect for Rodrygo Goes or Vinicius Junior and that may be the case on the night as well. The two Brazilians will definitely be called up for the game but it remains to be seen whether they’ll start or be used as super-subs as their pace will cause numerous problems for Liverpool during the last 30 minutes of the match.
However, Marco Asensio will be expecting to start as we know that Zidane is a huge fan of his and he impressed a lot against Eibar. He’ll be starting right behind the striker who will clearly be Karim Benzema. The Frenchman has been Real Madrid’s most influential player and will continue to be that way on the night.
Next. Real Madrid vs. Liverpool: 3 key individual battles to watch. dark
Full Predicted Lineup
Thibaut Courtois, Nacho Fernandez, Raphael Varane, Ferland Mendy, Lucas Vazquez, Marcelo, Carlos Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema