Arne Slot will be eyeing a famous win as Liverpool boss when the Reds host Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night
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Liverpool boss Arne Slot looks on
Several Liverpool players have hinted that they could feature in Arne Slot's team against Real Madrid
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool host Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday as they look to take a huge step towards qualifying for the knockout stages. Arne Slot's team have won every game they've played in Europe this season and sit third in the league phase table.
The Reds have been in fine form so far in 2024/25 with a 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League their only blemish. They face a Madrid side next who have lost two of their last three games in Europe which has seen them slide down to 21st place.
And several players have hinted they will feature in Wednesday's game. Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch are among the Liverpool players to have put pre-match graphics of the match on their Instagram stories in a hint that they may start against Carlo Ancelotti's team.
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Historically players who share the graphics have tended to be in the team come kick-off.
Liverpool have a poor recent record against the reigning European champions having lost seven of their last eight games against Los Blancos. For Slot, though, there is none of that baggage.
"I wasn’t aware of the fact we played them so many times.," he said at his pre-match press conference. "I was aware of the fact that two years ago they – I say ‘they’ because I was not part of it – were 2-0 up.
Cody Gakpo has hinted he could be involved for Liverpool against Real Madrid
Cody Gakpo has hinted he could be involved for Liverpool against Real Madrid
"I used that game to my team at Feyenoord at the time to show that Real Madrid always find a way of winning a game. When Liverpool were 2-0 up, no-one would have expected that game to end up being 5-2 for Real Madrid but that is what makes them so special, that they can turn games around like that.
"They can win it in different ways and if it is difficult for them they can still win a game and that is probably one of the reasons – apart from them having so much quality – that they won this tournament a lot.
"If we are fortunate enough to be a goal up or even more up (on Wednesday) we still are aware of the fact, especially because of what we experienced two years ago, that the game will never be done until the referee blows his whistle. In general it is like this but I think we all feel it against Real Madrid a bit more than to some other clubs we face. Do they have different aura in Europe? I think they might do."