Real Madrid: Three keys to victory against Liverpool

Kill the game early by scoring an early goal and claim the away goal

A strong start is always important to dictate the tempo in a big game. The control of the game will be swinging like a pendulum from one side to another, but a quickfire start with an early goal can make matters easy for Real Madrid, as it did against Atalanta, Liverpool in the first leg, and against Barcelona.

As I mentioned previously, Liverpool has nothing to lose and they will keep committing their players forward, which will expose the gaps in the backline, particularly on the flanks. Vinicius Jr took an advantage of that space in the first leg, and he always had the edge over Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Brazilian is often criticised for his lack of sharpness in front of the gaol, but he was highly clinical in the first leg and went on to score a brace. He is a certain pick to start the big game, including the evergreen and ever-reliable Karim Benzema. The Frenchman has 25 goals and six assists this season in all competitions, and he will be the team’s hope in the final third.

It is to be seen if Zidane goes into the game with a conservative mode by using only two attackers, or he looks to take on fire with fire by starting Asensio as well. Whatever might be Real Madrid’s attacking formation, it is very important for Los Blancos to score an away goal. Liverpool has an away goal to their name, and all they need is a 2-0 win to win the tie. All this makes it only further important for Real Madrid to score an away goal, preferably an early one.