Liverpoolvs.Real Madrid

Arne Slot's team are the only outfit with a perfect record of four wins from four in the league phase, most recently crushing Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 on Merseyside to open up a two-point lead at the summit of the Champions League table.

In contrast, Los Blancos have made an unusually indifferent start to their title defence, only taking six points from their first 12 on offer to sit outside the seeded playoff places in 18th.

Both teams are riding high on the back of recent domestic wins, though, as Liverpool fought back to edge out Southampton 3-2 in a Premier League thriller, while Carlo Ancelotti's team made light work of Leganes in a 3-0 victory.

With a star-studded selection of players on show and others missing out through injury, Sports Mole picks its combined Liverpool-Real Madrid XI, using only players expected to be available for the match.

Alisson Becker's expected absence with a hamstring injury means that Caoimhin Kelleher will guard the Liverpool sticks on Wednesday evening, and the Irishman's exceptional exploits during his superior's absence have earned him the label of 'best number two in the world'. However, Real boast one of the best number ones in the world in Thibaut Courtois, who returned from an adductor issue in the win over Leganes and was a simple pick in goal.

While ACL victim Dani Carvajal - who has just enjoyed one of the best years of his career - is definitely missing, Trent Alexander-Arnold is in with a shot of returning from a hamstring problem in time for Wednesday, where he could line up against his alleged admirers. The Englishman has not set the world alight in an attacking sense this season, only setting up two goals in 15 games, but there has been a noticeable improvement to his defensive game. His fellow long-serving full-back Andy Robertson has not enjoyed his finest campaign to date, but neither Fran Garcia nor Ferland Mendy have been consistent enough to oust the Scottish star from the XI.

Even though David Alaba and Eder Militao will be watching on from the medical bay, there is central representation for Real Madrid in the shape of Antonio Rudiger, who has already scored twice in this year's competition and only just gets the nod over Ibrahima Konate. Of course, who else but Virgil van Dijk - who has not missed a single minute of Premier League or Champions League action this season, scoring two goals and setting up one more in the process - would complete the four-strong rearguard.

With Aurelien Tchouameni managing an ankle injury, one of the midfield picks was a no-brainer; the revitalised Ryan Gravenberch is putting forward weekly nominations for the Premier League Player of the Season prize and has won possession 30 times in the 2024-25 Champions League, more than any other midfielder. Joining the Dutchman in the double pivot is Federico Valverde, who will likely have to play right-back on Wednesday due to Real's injury situation but will provide an offensive threat regardless, having conjured up four goals and two assists in all tournaments this season. Alexis Mac Allister and Eduardo Camavinga were incredibly worthy mentions, though.

Perpetually linked with a blockbuster transfer to Anfield before answering the Bernabeu call, Jude Bellingham has failed to hit the same heights as he did in 2023-24 - a consequence of Ancelotti's system change, it seems - but two goals and four assists in all competitions is not a horrendous return, and he pips regular rotators Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai to the number 10 role.

Undeniably the easiest pick for this XI, Mohamed Salah bids for a first-ever victory against Real Madrid with an astonishing 22 goal contributions from 18 matches this season, 12 of his own and 10 helpers. With four assists in the Champions League, the 32-year-old has set up more goals than any other player in the current competition, although his bombshell comments about his future may dominate the pre-game build-up instead of his stellar on-field feats. Vinicius Junior would have been a simple selection on the opposite wing too, but owing to his new hamstring injury, Luis Diaz - scorer of a phenomenal hat-trick against Leverkusen on matchday four - starts on our left-hand side ahead of Cody Gakpo and Brahim Diaz.

Adapting to life in Madrid has not been as smooth as Kylian Mbappe may have envisaged, but nine goals in all competitions is far from woeful, and he remains one of the most challenging assignments for any defender on his day. With Diogo Jota injured and Darwin Nunez still failing to find consistency in a Liverpool shirt, Mbappe was always going to be our attacking focal point, and a goal on Wednesday would see him reach the 50 mark in the Champions League in just 78 appearances.

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