5 reasons why Real Madrid will advance past Liverpool and into the semifinals

Real Madrid had an eventful weekend. They completed the league double over arch-rivals FC Barcelona and put the title race wide open. Though they did manage to hold on to a one-goal advantage until the final whistle, they did so at the expense of Lucas Vazquez who was later confirmed to have suffered a sprain to the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

With or without Lucas, Los Blancos would be looking forward to another dominant performance against Liverpool. And, here are five reasons why Real Madrid will go past the Reds and into the semifinals of the Champions League.

1. A two-goal cushion

As plain and cliché as it sounds, goals are what speak the loudest in a football match. And, when talked about this tie, Real Madrid already have two in the bank. Liverpool on the other hand, have one crucial away goal, courtesy of Mohamed Salah. This would mean that the Reds will need to score at least 2 goals to advance past Los Blancos.

A small look at Real Madrid’s recent performances should be enough to argue that the odds of them losing by two goals or more are as low as they could be. The last time Real Madrid lost with a similar margin was more than four months back on December 1, 2020, when they lost 0-2 to Shakhtar Donetsk away from home in the Champions League’s fifth matchday.

Since then, Los Blancos have lost only thrice in 26 games in all competitions. The defeats have all been at a single goal’s margin. At the moment, the Whites are on a 15-game unbeaten run which includes only two drawn games, just to give you an idea of their recent form.

Realistically speaking, all Real Madrid needs to advance past Liverpool is one away goal. And that seems like a small ask from a very much in-form Los Blancos team.