Saturday’s 2–0 victory over Aston Villa was much more like the Liverpool that claimed their 20th league title during Arne Slot’s debut season at the helm.
The Reds weathered an early storm and capitalised on a woeful Emiliano Martínez error before coasting to three points. Suddenly, Slot’s men are third in the league table and preparing for a fixture that could reignite their stuttering season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s return is an unavoidable narrative, but Slot will solely be focused on overseeing a victory that would allow Anfield to believe again. This Real Madrid team are considerably better than last season’s iteration that were beaten 2–0 on Merseyside, and every sign is pointing towards an absolute barnstormer on Tuesday night.
Slot revisited a familiar formula at the weekend, and the Dutchman is unlikely to tinker too much for Madrid‘s visit. Here’s how Liverpool could line up for this blockbuster Champions League duel.






