A repeat of the 2022 Champions League final headlines this week’s Champions League fixtures on CBS and Paramount+ as Liverpool bid for revenge not just for events in the Stade de France where Real Madrid beat them in the finals, but the previous year, where they were dumped out of the competition in the quarterfinals. On both occasions, Vinicius Junior has been the English side’s tormentor in chief and it is an ill omen for Liverpool that the Brazilian has found a rich vein of form in recent weeks.
Equally, Liverpool might be at the start of an upswing in fortunes after beating Everton and Newcastle last week, Darwin Nunez finding the net and Trent Alexander-Arnold laying on two assists as Jurgen Klopp’s side boosted their chances of getting back to next season’s Champions League. At their best they are good enough to qualify by winning the competition outright but it has been a long while since they have enjoyed a consistent run of peak performances. Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know:
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How to watch and odds
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 21 | Time: 12:45 p.m.
- Location: Anfield — Liverpool
- TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Liverpool +130; Draw +250; Real Madrid +200 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Liverpool vs. Real Madrid
Tuesday’s broadcast schedule
(All times U.S./Eastern)
Wednesday’s broadcast schedule
(All times U.S./Eastern)
Coverage starts each day at 2 pm. with Champions League Today on CBS and Paramount+. Paramount+ will offer a multicast feature allowing subscribers to watch two matches simultaneously in a split-screen view. You can try one month free by using the code: ADVANCE.
Storylines
Liverpool: It perhaps reflects the one step forward, one step back nature of Liverpool’s season that, having found the net in the Premier League for the first time since November, Darwin Nunez suffered a knock to his shoulder that makes him a doubt for the first leg at Anfield. “There’s a chance,” Klopp told his pre-match press conference. “From all the possible scenarios, apart from being absolutely nothing; that’s not the case. We have to see how he can deal with the pain [and] when we know that, we make a decision.”
Equally Liverpool may be able to cope without the Uruguayan now that Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino are returning to consideration. The former might be a natural alternative for Nunez as a poacher playing off the left, but Firmino might be crucial in bringing the best out of Mohamed Salah, who has functioned as more of a playmaker for the Reds this season. They may well need their best player to create and score if they are to get through this tricky tie.
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Real Madrid: Carlo Ancelotti might have hoped to convincingly boss a Liverpool midfield that has been their weak link throughout this season but his plans will doubtless have been disrupted by the failure of Aurelien Tchouameni and Toni Kroos to make the trip to Merseyside. Still there are plenty of quality options to step into the fray, whether it be Eduardo Camavinga or perhaps Federico Valverde playing in the midfield three and Rodrygo joining an attack that will include Karim Benzema.
After a stuttering season that has seen them cede the position of favorite for the Spanish title to Barcelona, Madrid have rounded into impressive form in recent weeks, winning their last four, including a 4-0 win over Elche and 2-0 victory against Osasuna since returning from winning the Club World Cup.
Prediction
Neither side look quite capable of holding the other goalless but Madrid might just have a few more matchwinners available to them. PICK: Liverpool 1, Real Madrid 2