Liverpool v Real Madrid background

Two of the great names of European Cup football meet at Anfield on matchday three when Liverpool FC host defending champions Real Madrid CF in Group B.

Previous meetings
• Liverpool beat Madrid 5-0 on aggregate in the 2008/09 round of 16. Rafael Benítez's Reds won the first leg 1-0 in Spain, before a 4-0 success back on Merseyside, where Steven Gerrard scored twice – Madrid's biggest UEFA Champions League defeat. Álvaro Arbeloa was in the Liverpool side.

• The lineups at Anfield on 10 March 2009 were:
Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Škrtel, Carragher, Fábio Aurélio, Alonso (Lucas 60), Mascherano, Kuyt, Gerrard (Spearing 73), Babel, Torres (Dossena 84).
Madrid: Casillas, Ramos, Cannavaro (Van der Vaart 64), Pepe, Heinze, Robben (Marcelo 46), Diarra, Gago (Guti 77), Sneijder, Raúl, Higuaín.

• Liverpool also beat Madrid 1-0 in the 1981 European Champion Clubs' Cup final in Paris, Alan Kennedy scoring the only goal.

Match background

Liverpool
• Brendan Rodgers' side are looking to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat at FC Basel 1893 on matchday two.

• Liverpool's most recent encounter with Spanish opposition brought defeat on away goals against Club Atlético de Madrid in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League semi-finals (0-1a, 2-1h). Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Lucas are the only survivors of that Liverpool team.

• Liverpool have won only four of 14 home matches against Spanish visitors, their record reading: W4 D6 L4.

• Liverpool have lost just one of their last 18 home matches in UEFA competition and beat PFC Ludogorets Razgrad 2-1 at Anfield on matchday one.

Real Madrid
• Madrid have won five of their last seven away games in the UEFA Champions League, including a 2-1 victory at Ludogorets last time out.

• Madrid's most recent visit to England brought a 2-1 win at Manchester United FC in the 2012/13 round of 16. Cristiano Ronaldo hit the winner at Old Trafford and has scored in five of his six appearances against Premier League teams for the Blancos.

• Madrid are unbeaten in their last three trips to face Premier League opposition. Their overall record away to English teams is W5 D3 L5.

Coach and player links
• Carlo Ancelotti's AC Milan side were beaten on penalties by Liverpool after surrendering a 3-0 lead in the 2005 final, before they gained revenge with a 2-1 final triumph in 2007.

• As Chelsea FC manager, Ancelotti faced Liverpool four times in the Premier League, winning twice in 2009/10 (2-0h, 2-0a), but then losing twice in 2010/11 (0-2a, 0-1h).

• Ronaldo scored twice in nine appearances against Liverpool for Manchester United, winning five, losing three and drawing one. He did not score for United at Anfield where his record read W3 D1 L1.

• Javier Hernández scored twice in five visits to Anfield with United and also hit the only goal against Liverpool in an English League Cup tie at Old Trafford in September 2013. His overall record against them was W3 D1 L3.

• Luka Modrić faced Liverpool eight times with Tottenham Hotspur FC (W5 D1 L2) and scored in a 2-0 victory at Anfield in May 2011.

• Gareth Bale's record against Liverpool with Spurs was W4 D2 L3. His only goal in nine appearances came in a 2-1 home victory in November 2012.

• Fabio Borini and Isco were both on the scoresheet when a Spain team also including Asier Illarramendi defeated Borini's Italy 4-2 in the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final.

• Mario Balotelli was in the Italy side beaten 4-0 by the Spain of Iker Casillas, Arbeloa and Sergio Ramos in the UEFA EURO 2012 final.

• International connections: Coutinho, Lucas and Marcelo (Brazil); Dejan Lovren and Modrić (Croatia); Mamadou Sakho, Raphaël Varane and Karim Benzema (France); Joe Allen and Bale (Wales).

Match facts

Liverpool
• Liverpool benefited from two own goals to win 3-2 at Queens Park Rangers FC on Sunday; they were leading 1-0 until the 87th minute.

• Adam Lallana's first goal for Liverpool set the Reds on their way to a 2-1 home victory against West Bromwich Albion FC on 4 October.

• Jordan Henderson, who scored the decisive goal in that match, was named Liverpool's player of the month for September following a poll on the club website and Twitter.

• Rodgers' team have kept only two clean sheets in their last 20 matches in all competitions – both against Tottenham Hotspur FC.

• Gerrard celebrated 11 years as Liverpool captain on 15 October.

• Lovren withdrew from the Croatia squad for their recent UEFA EURO 2016 qualifiers because of an abdominal injury, but played 90 minutes against QPR. Daniel Sturridge has not played since 3 September due to a thigh problem.

• Javi Manquillo featured in both legs and Alberto Moreno the first game as holders Spain lost 2-1 on aggregate to Serbia in their UEFA European Under-21 Championship play-off tie.

Madrid
• Since losing to Atlético on 13 September, the European champions have won seven successive matches, scoring 32 goals in the process.

• The Whites made it back-to-back 5-0 victories on Saturday, at Levante UD. Ronaldo struck once in each half, and in doing so took his Liga tally for the season to 15 in seven outings, breaking Esteban Echevarría's 71-year-old record for the highest scoring start to a Spanish campaign.

• Isco concluded the scoring in Valencia with his first goal since 12 April.

• Ronaldo registered a record-equalling 22nd Liga hat-trick as Madrid overwhelmed Athletic Club 5-0 on 5 October. He has had two trebles and a four-goal performance in his past six club outings.

• Madrid's No7 has found the net in his last 14 home appearances, a club record.

• His goal on matchday two was his 69th in the UEFA Champions League, two behind record holder Raúl González.

• The Portugal captain headed a 95th-minute winner for his country in their 1-0 UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying victory against Denmark on 14 October.

• Toni Kroos opened the scoring for Germany in the world champions' 1-1 home draw with the Republic of Ireland the same evening.

• A day earlier, Modrić was on target in Croatia's 6-0 defeat of Azerbaijan.

• Keylor Navas is on a three-man shortlist along with Thibaut Courtois and Willy Caballero to be named the Liga's best goalkeeper of last season.