Liverpool have it all to do on Wednesday when they face Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg.
After going two goals ahead at Anfield, Liverpool conceded five as they were defeated 5-2 by Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg last month. Now, the Reds travel to Spain to take on Los Blancos in the return leg, with Jurgen Klopp's side needing to win by four goals or more in 90 minutes to advance to the next round.
The Reds have completed some incredible comebacks over the years, and if they were to do so again on Wednesday, it would surely go down as their best ever. After a 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United, spirits were high amongst Liverpool fans, but a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth last weekend sends the Reds into the Madrid clash on the back of a concerning defeat.
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So can Liverpool comeback in the second leg against Real Madrid? Let's take a look.
Real Madrid vs Liverpool score predicted by simulationTo complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that Los Blancos could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Camavinga; Modric, Tchouameni, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius.
We predict that Liverpool could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Elliott; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez.
Liverpool were expected to burst out the blocks and try for an early goal, but the hosts had the same idea, with Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior both coming close in the opening five minutes. Madrid weren't going to be there for the taking, and an early goal for the hosts put a huge dent in the already small chances of a comeback.
A slick passing move saw Madrid work the ball from goalkeeper to striker, with Kairm Benzema turning past Virgil van Dijk on the halfway line and starting a counterattack. With options on either side, the Frenchman slid a pass into the path of Vinicius, and the Brazilian fired a fantastic strike into the far top corner to put Los Blancos 1-0 up.
With the aggregate score 6-2, a comeback now seemed impossible, and a deflated Liverpool side were struggling to escape their own half as Madrid controlled the game. Luka Modric and Valverde had big chances to add to their lead, but a terrific display from Alisson was keeping the score at 1-0.
In the first half alone, Alisson made six saves, and a standout came in the 44th minute to deny Vinicius a second. The winger drifted into the middle to meet Valverde's cross, but his driven shot towards goal was well smothered by the 'keeper.
Diogo Jota came closest for the Reds off the bench when he was sent through one-on-one with the 'keeper in the 64th minute, but the striker sent his shot wide of the goal from close range, a moment that summed up the situation perfectly for Liverpool.
FIFA 23 predicted score: Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool (Real Madrid win 6-2 on aggregate)Here are the full-time match stats:
FIFA 23 predicts that Liverpool won't be able to overturn the 5-2 deficit in the second leg against Real Madrid, losing 1-0 in the simulation. The hosts controlled the game, as Vinicius handed Los Blancos an early lead, a goal that ultimately killed the Reds' hopes.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments.
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