FW Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior is a must-start for Real Madrid against Liverpool after what he did to the Reds in the first leg. I know many fans pointed out that Trent Alexander-Arnold could be a potential defensive weak link on the flank for Jurgen Klopp’s side, but I sincerely did not envision him getting that thoroughly roasted by Vini. He was so rattled that he was cursing out the linesman and committing petty fouls by the end of the game.
The 20-year-old scored two clinical goals against Liverpool last week and followed that up with another big game, creating the free-kick goal that Toni Kroos converted while also leading counterattack after counterattack. I expect more of the same from Vinicius, who is more confident than he’s ever been and just seems untouchable whenever he is on the ball. And off the ball, the man is calculating, timing his runs to perfection.
FW Karim Benzema
World-class No. 9 Karim Benzema is the most decorated attacking player on the pitch on either side, and while he did not score or assist in the first leg, he did play very well in his own right. Benzema helped create Vinicius’ second goal. Then over the weekend in the marquee matchup vs. Barcelona, Benzema scored a marquee backheel goal to open Real’s account in an eventual 2-1 win at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.
A goal at Anfield would be vital for Real Madrid easing any nerves about closing out this quarterfinal matchup successfully, and I’m sure Benz would love nothing more than to make it 9 goals in his last 10 matches. He’s more than capable of using his veteran bag of tricks to best Liverpool’s center backs, even though Ozan Kabak is underrated and showed good recovery skills in thwarting Benz one great opportunity in the first match.