Liverpool and Real Madrid will meet for the tenth time on Tuesday night in the Champions League round of 16 first leg. This is a repeat of last season’s final when los Blancos prevailed 1-0 at Stade de France, with Vinícius Júnior the only scorer in Paris. Ahead of that huge clash at Anfield, this article looks back at the five most memorable meetings between these two European juggernauts.
📰 Table Of Contents
Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Head to head Champions League record
Liverpool wins: 3. Real Madrid wins: 5. Draws: 1.
Liverpool vs Real Madrid: UEFA Champions League meetings
2022 Champions League Finals: Liverpool 0-1 Real Madrid.
2021 Champions League quarter-finals: Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool (on aggregate).
2018 Champions League Final: Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool.
2014 Champions League group stages: Liverpool 0-3 Real Madrid & Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool.
1981 European Cup Final: Real Madrid 0-1 Liverpool
2021: Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool
The 2020/21 Champions League is easily forgotten, given that the entire tournament was played behind-closed-doors; Chelsea supporters may disagree!
At the quarter-final stage, these two served up a cracker at Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano, with Real Madrid prevailing 3-1.
Vinícius Júnior scored twice on the night at Valdebebas, the first of which was truly world-class.
Toni Kroos played a sublime lofted through-ball, from inside his own half no less, with Vini Jr. taking the ball down on his chest before firing past Alisson.
Trent Alexander-Arnold then gifted Marco Asensio a second, Mohamed Salah did half the deficit, but Vinícius rubber-stamped the win late on.
The second leg at Anfield was a drab goalless affair, with Real Madrid booking their place in the semis.
2009: Liverpool 4-0 Real Madrid
Back in 2009, Liverpool enjoyed the biggest victory in the history of this fixture, smashing Real Madrid at the round of 16.
First though, Yossi Benayoun was the only scorer at the Bernabéu as the Reds enjoyed a famous win in the Spanish capital.
13 days later, los Blancos arrived on Merseyside hoping to turn the tie around, but that certainly wasn’t how it played out.
Rafa Benítez’s team ran out 4-0 winners, with Fernando Torres breaking the deadlock, before Steven Gerrard scored twice, the second of which was a stunning half-volley.
Andrea Dossena only scored twice in his Liverpool career, one in a 4-1 victory at Old Trafford, with the other rounding off this famous four-goal haul; he knew how to pick his moments.
The Reds were dumped out by Chelsea in the next round, beaten 7-5 on aggregate, but this spanking of Real Madrid lives long in the memory.
1981: Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid
In the space of just eight seasons, between 1977 and 1984, Liverpool hoisted aloft no fewer than four European Cups, the third of which came at Real Madrid’s expense.
In 1981 in Paris, Alan Kennedy wrote his name in the history books for ever, dancing through the Real defence before firing past goalkeeper Agustín.
Kennedy made 347 appearances for Liverpool, with this certainly the most famous of his 20 goals.
This was one of three European Cups Bob Paisley captured as manager, picking up 20 major trophies in total.
For Real Madrid, this defeat came in the midst of their 32-year barren period, not winning the European Cup between 1966 and 1998, with this the only final they appeared in during this time frame.
2022: Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool
Just 268 days ago, Real Madrid and Liverpool met in a Champions League Final in Paris.
Sadly, off-field issues took centre-stage, with kick off delayed by 37 minutes.
Initially, UEFA tried to blame Liverpool supporters, with the big screen claiming the game was delayed due to ‘fans arriving late’.
An independent report released just last week proves that this was an out-right lie, and that the impeccable behaviour of supporters is the only thing that prevented a full-scale tradgedy.
Played with this back-drop, the game was about as low-key as a Champions League Final can ever be.
Vinícius Júnior was the only scorer, his goal coming on the hour mark, bundling home Fede Valverde’s cross at the back-post.
However, Thibaut Courtois was the man of the match, making nine saves, a Champions League Final record, with Jürgen Klopp’s team left ruing their missed opportunities.
2018: Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool
Four years earlier, these two heavyweights played out a far more entertaining final at Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex in Kyiv.
In the first half, Mohamed Salah was curly bundled over by Sergio Ramos, so was substituted, with this shoulder injury actually wrecking the Egyptian’s World Cup too.
The breakthrough then came in bizarre circumstances, with Loris Karius literally throwing the ball onto Karim Benzema’s foot, before the ball slowly trickled into the corner.
However, the Reds weren’t behind for long, just four minutes in fact, with Sadio Mané poking home from close-range, after Dejan Lovren had powered a header towards goal.
From the bizarre to sublime: enter Gareth Bale.
Just two minutes after coming on, Bale scored the best goal in Champions League Final history, acrobatically firing home the most spectacular overhead-kick you’ll ever see.
Bale then secured the ‘three-peat’ with his long shot dropped into his own net by a distraught Karius.
These two giants always serve up something special, so will we be in for another classic on Tuesday night?
