Real Madrid vs Liverpool: UEFA Champions League background, form guide, previous meetings

The 2020/21 quarter-finals bring together two of the European Cup's most successful clubs with Real Madrid taking on Liverpool in a repeat of the 2018 final.

• The pair, who have 19 European Cup successes between them, set up this meeting by each finishing first in their group before easing through the round of 16, Madrid seeing off Atalanta and Liverpool safely negotiating their tie against Leipzig. Both sides' 2019/20 UEFA Champions League campaigns were ended by clubs from their opponents' country in the last 16, holders Liverpool being eliminated by Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid bowing out against Manchester City.

• The sides have twice met in European Cup finals, Liverpool winning the 1981 decider in Paris – the teams' first fixture – and Madrid claiming their 13th title, and third in a row, in Kyiv in 2018.

Previous meetings
• The teams last met at Kyiv's NSC Olimpiyski on 26 May 2018, Zinédine Zidane's Madrid becoming the first team to win three successive European Cups twice with a 3-1 victory against a Liverpool side managed, as now, by Jürgen Klopp. Karim Benzema's 51st-minute opener was cancelled out within four minutes by Sadio Mané, but two goals from substitute Gareth Bale (64, 83) – including a stunning overhead effort – took the trophy to Madrid again.

• That was the sides' sixth meeting, all in the European Cup, and made it three wins and seven goals apiece.

• The teams also crossed paths in the 2014/15 group stage, Madrid winning both games with Benzema scoring twice in the first, a 3-0 away win. The Frenchman also got the only goal as Madrid won 1-0 in Spain two weeks later.

• 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, Yossi Benayoun getting the only goal with eight minutes left, before completing a comfortable aggregate victory with a 4-0 success back on Merseyside – Madrid's biggest UEFA Champions League defeat – thanks to two Steven Gerrard goals (28pen, 47) and further strikes from Fernando Torres (16) and Andrea Dossena (88).

• Bob Paisley's Liverpool also beat Madrid, coached by Vujadin Boškov, 1-0 in the 1981 European Champion Clubs' Cup final in Paris, Alan Kennedy scoring the only goal nine minutes from time.

Form guide
 Real Madrid
• Madrid are in the European Cup quarter-finals for the 36th time, more than any other side. Their record is W29 L6:

2017/18 Juventus W 4-3 (3-0 a, 1-3 h)
2016/17 Bayern München W 6-3 (2-1 a, 4-2 h)
2015/16 Wolfsburg W 3-2 (0-2 a, 3-0 h)
2014/15 Atlético de Madrid W 1-0 (0-0 a, 1-0 h)
2013/14 Borussia Dortmund W 3-2 (3-0 h, 0-2 a)
2012/13 Galatasaray W 5-3 (3-0 h, 2-3 a)
2011/12 APOEL W 8-2 (3-0 a, 5-2 h)
2010/11 Tottenham W 5-0 (4-0 h, 1-0 a)
2003/04 Monaco L 5-5, away goals (4-2 h, 1-3 a)
2002/03 Manchester United W 6-5 (3-1 h, 3-4 a)
2001/02 Bayern München W 3-2 (1-2 a, 2-0 h)
2000/01 Galatasaray W 5-3 (2-3 a, 3-0 h)
1999/00 Manchester United W 3-2 (0-0 h, 3-2 a)
1998/99 Dynamo Kyiv L 1-3 (1-1 h, 0-2 a)
1997/98 Bayer Leverkusen W 4-1 (1-1 a, 3-0 h)
1995/96 Juventus L 1-2 (1-0 h, 0-2 a)
1990/91 Spartak Moskva L 1-3 (0-0 a, 1-3 h)
1988/89 PSV Eindhoven W 3-2 (1-1 a, 2-1 h)
1987/88 Bayern München W 4-3 (2-3 a, 2-0 h)
1986/87 Crvena zvezda W 4-4 away goals (2-4 a, 2-0 h)
1980/81 Spartak Moskva W 2-0 (0-0 a, 2-0 h)
1979/80 Celtic W 3-2 (0-2 a, 3-0 h)
1975/76 Borussia Mönchengladbach W 3-3 away goals (2-2 a, 1-1 h)
1972/73 Dynamo Kyiv W 3-0 (0-0 a, 3-0 h)
1967/68 Sparta Praha W 4-2 (3-0 h, 1-2 a)
1966/67 Internazionale Milano L 0-3 (0-1 a, 0-2 h)
1965/66 Anderlecht W 4-3 (0-1 a, 4-2 h)
1964/65 Benfica L 3-6 (1-5 a, 2-1 h)
1963/64 AC Milan W 4-3 (4-1 h, 0-2 a)
1961/62 Juventus W 3-1 replay (1-0 a, 0-1 h)
1959/60 Nice W 6-3 (2-3 a, 4-0 h)
1958/59 Wiener Sport-Club W 7-1 (0-0 a, 7-1 h)
1957/58 Sevilla W 10-2 (8-0 h, 2-2 a)
1956/57 Nice W 6-2 (3-0 h, 3-2 a)
1955/56 Partizan W 4-3 (4-0 h, 0-3 a)

• Madrid collected six of their ten points in this season's group stage against Internazionale, who they beat 3-2 at home and 2-0 away. They took only one point from their first two Group B games, losing 3-2 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk before late goals from Benzema (87) and Casemiro (90+3) rescued a 2-2 draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 2. The wins against Inter were followed by a 2-0 loss at Shakhtar, but Mönchengladbach were then beaten by the same scoreline in the final round of group games.

• Madrid therefore finished first in their group for only the second time in the last five seasons but for the 17th time in all, second only to Barcelona (21).

• Zidane's side then beat Atalanta away (1-0) and at home (3-1) in the round of 16 to reach their first quarter-final since 2017/18, when they went on to beat Liverpool in the final.

• Spanish champions for a record-extending 34th time in 2019/20, this is Madrid's 25th UEFA Champions League campaign – a joint record along with Barcelona. They have qualified for the knockout rounds in all of their 25 seasons, also a competition best.

• This is the 13-time champions' 51st European Cup campaign, more than any other side.

• In 2019/20, Zidane's team were runners-up in their section behind eventual finalists Paris Saint-Germain, finishing on 11 points, five fewer than Paris. Their campaign came to an end in the round of 16 as they lost 2-1 home and away to Manchester City.

• Having reached the semi-finals or better for eight successive seasons between 2010/11 and 2017/18, that was Madrid's second successive last-16 elimination having bowed out against Ajax in 2018/19.

• This is Madrid's 17th appearance in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. It is the first time this century that they have been Spain's lone representatives in the last eight.

• Madrid have won only six of their last 12 UEFA Champions League matches (D2 L4). They have lost seven of their last 19 (W9 D3).

• Despite this season's victories against Inter, Mönchengladbach and Atalanta, Madrid have won only four of their last ten home European games (D2 L4).

• Benzema's goal on Matchday 2 means he has matched the record of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in scoring in 16 successive UEFA Champions League campaigns.

• Madrid's record in two-legged knockout ties against English clubs is W8 L5; they had won three in a row before last season's defeat by Manchester City.

• The first-leg loss to City was only Madrid's third at home to English clubs; their record otherwise is W8 D6. Having being held 1-1 by Tottenham in the 2017/18 group stage, Madrid have won neither of their last two home matches against Premier League visitors.

Liverpool
• Liverpool have won 11 of their previous 15 European Cup quarter-finals:
2018/19 Porto W 6-1 (2-0 h, 4-1 a)
2017/18 Manchester City W 5-1 (3-0 h, 2-1 a)
2008/09 Chelsea L 5-7 (1-3 h, 4-4 a)
2007/08 Arsenal W 5-3 (1-1 a, 4-2 h)
2006/07 PSV Eindhoven W 4-0 (3-0 a, 1-0 h)
2004/05 Juventus W 2-1 (2-1 h, 0-0 a)
2001/02 Bayer Leverkusen L 3-4 (1-0 h, 2-4 a)
1984/85 Austria Wien W 5-2 (1-1 a, 4-1 h)
1983/84 Benfica W 5-1 (1-0 h, 4-1 a)
1982/83 Widzew Łódź L 3-4 (0-2 a, 3-2 h)
1981/82 CSKA Sofia L 1-2 (1-0 h, 0-2 a)
1980/81 CSKA Sofia W 6-1 (5-1 h, 1-0 a)
1977/78 Benfica W 6-2 (2-1 a, 4-1 h)
1976/77 St-Étienne W 3-2 (0-1 a, 3-1 h)
1964/65 Köln W 2-2, Liverpool won on coin toss (0-0 a, 0-0 h, 2-2 n)

• The Reds won their first three games in this season's competition without conceding, beating Ajax (1-0) and Atalanta (5-0) away and Midtjylland (2-0) at home. A 2-0 defeat by the Italian side on Matchday 4 was their first group stage reverse at Anfield since October 2014, but progress and first place were assured by another 1-0 win against Ajax on Matchday 5 before a closing 1-1 draw at Midtjylland.

• Klopp's team then won 2-0 in both legs against Leipzig at Budapest's Puskás Aréna in the round of 16.

• Liverpool have won 15 of their last 23 European fixtures (D3 L5).

• The Reds are in the UEFA Champions League for the 13th time; this is the eighth season in which they have reached the quarter-finals.

• Liverpool were champions of England for the 19th time in 2019/20, their first league title since 1990.

• Klopp's side also finished top of Group E in 2019/20, recovering from losing their opening fixture 2-0 at Napoli to advance with 13 points ahead of the Italian club. They sealed progress on Matchday 6 with a 2-0 victory at Salzburg.

• Liverpool had won their sixth European Cup in 2018/19, but their defence of the trophy came to a halt in the round of 16, Atlético winning 1-0 in Spain and, after extra time, 3-2 at Anfield. The latter result ended Liverpool's 25-match unbeaten home run in Europe (W18 D7), since the 3-0 loss to Real Madrid on 22 October 2014, and was their first aggregate defeat in 12 two-legged knockout ties in UEFA competition.

• Last season's elimination by Atlético was Liverpool's first two-legged defeat in the UEFA Champions League since a 7-5 aggregate loss to Chelsea in the 2008/09 quarter-finals.

• That aggregate defeat against Atlético ended Liverpool's perfect record against Spanish clubs in two-legged European Cup knockout ties; they had won all the previous four. Their overall record in two-legged knockout ties with Liga sides in all UEFA club competitions is W9 L3; including single-match finals it is W11 L5.

• Liverpool have won only two of their last 12 fixtures against Spanish clubs (D2 L8) – a sequence that also includes 3-1 losses under Klopp in the 2016 UEFA Europa League final to Sevilla and the 2018 UEFA Champions League final to Real Madrid.

• The defeat at Atlético is Liverpool's only loss in their last seven UEFA Champions League away matches (W5 D1).

• The loss at Atlético also made it six games without a win away to Spanish sides (D1 L5), since Liverpool's 1-0 victory at Real Madrid in 2009, although their overall record in Spain is W7 D5 L7.

Links and trivia
• Fabinho was on loan at Madrid in 2012/13, making one appearance for the senior side in what proved his only season at the club before joining Monaco.

• Klopp oversaw four games against Madrid as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2012/13. After a 2-1 win in Germany and 2-2 draw in Spain in the group stage, the teams met again in the semi-finals, Dortmund going through despite a 2-0 away second-leg defeat having won 4-1 at home, Robert Lewandowski scoring all four of the Bundesliga side's goals. Benzema and Sergio Ramos scored for Madrid in the second leg.

• The following season Madrid ousted Klopp's Dortmund in the quarter-finals, Isco scoring in a 3-0 first-leg win at the Bernabéu. The Spanish side held on despite a 2-0 away loss in the return.

• Have played in England:

Luka Modrić (Tottenham 2008–12)
Eden Hazard (Chelsea 2012–19)
Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea 2014–18)

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

• Have played together:

Toni Kroos & Thiago Alcántara (Bayern München 2013/14)
Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard & Mohamed Salah (Chelsea 2014)

• International team-mates:

Casemiro, Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior, Éder Militão & Alisson, Fabinho, Roberto Firmino (Brazil)
Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Marco Asensio, Lucas Vázquez, Isco, Álvaro Odriozola, Nacho & Thiago Alcántara (Spain)
Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard & Divock Origi (Belgium)

Latest news
Real Madrid
• Madrid are unbeaten in 11 matches in all competitions (W9 D2), beating Eibar 2-0 at home on Saturday.

• That was their fourth successive victory. After the second-leg win against Atalanta, Madrid recorded a 3-1 win at Celta Vigo on 20 March.

• A 2-1 loss at home to Levante on 30 January is Madrid's only defeat in their last 19 Liga matches (W14 D4).

• Karim Benzema scored Madrid's second goal on Saturday, his tenth in his last nine Liga matches and eighth in his last six. He has scored in his last seven Madrid appearances in all competitions.

• Marco Asensio opened the scoring against Eibar and has found the net on his last three Madrid appearances. He had not scored in successive matches for the club since October 2017.

• Dani Carvajal made his first appearance since 2 January in a 2-0 home win against Valencia on 14 February after recovering from a hamstring injury, but suffered a recurrence of the problem and was substituted after 28 minutes. He has not played since.*

• Sergio Ramos returned from knee surgery that had kept him out since 14 Jan in the 2-1 home victory against Elche on 13 March. However, a calf muscle injury sustained on international duty with Spain has ruled him out of this tie.

• Having been sidelined between 28 November and 30 December with a muscle injury, Eden Hazard picked up a thigh injury in training and had not played since that loss to Levante before coming on as a substitute against Elche. However, he has since been sidelined by another muscle problem.

• Federico Valverde (knock) has not played since 20 March; Toni Kroos (adductor) also picked up an injury in that win at Celta, returning as a second-half substitute at the weekend.

• Mariano Díaz also came on against Eibar on Saturday, his first appearance since 1 March due to a hip injury, while Álvaro Odriozola had missed two games with a knock but was an unused substitute at the weekend.

• Éder Militão made his first appearance since that defeat against Levante as a second-half substitute for Ramos against Atalanta.

• Luka Modrić scored a penalty in Croatia's 3-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying win against Malta on 30 March. Three days earlier, in another qualifier against Cyprus, he had become Croatia's most-capped international, making his 135th appearance.

Liverpool
• Fabinho's next appearance in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final, will be his 50th.

• Liverpool have won only eight of their last 20 matches in all competitions (D3 L9) and have lost six of their last 11 games, winning the other five including the last three. They were 3-0 victors at Arsenal on Saturday thanks to two second-half goals from substitute Diogo Jota and one from Mohamed Salah.

• Liverpool have won six of their last seven away games in all competitions, including the last four, all of which have featured clean sheets.

• The Reds have suffered eight defeats in their last 14 Premier League matches – as many as in their previous 121 games.

• Liverpool's 68-match unbeaten home league run (W55 D13) was ended by a 1-0 reverse against Burnley on 21 January. They also lost their next five Premier League matches at Anfield, against Brighton (0-1), Manchester City (1-4), Everton (0-2), Chelsea (0-1) and Fulham (0-1) – the first time in Liverpool's history they had lost six successive home matches.

• Jürgen Klopp's side are without a win at Anfield since the 2-1 victory against Tottenham on 16 December; their record since is D2 L6. That is their longest run of top-flight games without a home victory since their ten-game sequence between October 1951 and March 1952.

• Liverpool last lost six home league games in a season in 1953/54, when they finished bottom; that is also the last time they were relegated.

• The defeat by Chelsea made Liverpool the first English champions to lose five successive home games in the following campaign.

• The 7-2 loss at Aston Villa on 4 October was the first time Liverpool had conceded seven goals in a game since April 1963, in a 7-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool were also the first reigning English champions to concede seven goals in a league match since September 1953, when Arsenal lost 7-1 at Sunderland.

• Liverpool have 49 points after 30 games of this season's Premier League, 34 less than at the same stage of last season.

• Klopp's side have conceded 46 goals in their 43 games in all competitions this season; six of their 16 clean sheets have come in the UEFA Champions League. They have managed five clean sheets in their last 15 matches.

• Joe Gomez damaged a tendon in his left knee in training with England on 11 November and has not played since.

• Virgil van Dijk has been out since sustaining a serious knee injury in a 2-2 draw at Everton on 17 October.

• Joël Matip was ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an ankle injury in a 3-1 Premier League win at Tottenham on 28 January; he has been removed from Liverpool's UEFA Champions League squad.

• Jordan Henderson has been out since suffering a groin injury in the defeat by Everton on 20 February. He subsequently underwent surgery on the problem.

• Roberto Firmino played 78 minutes at the weekend, his first game since the defeat by Chelsea on 4 March after recovering from a knee injury.

• Naby Keïta captained Guinea to a 1-0 win against Mali on 24 March, confirming his side's place at the 2022 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

• Two Jota headers earned Portugal a 2-2 draw against Serbia on 27 March.

• Xherdan Shaqiri's goal gave Switzerland a 1-0 qualifying win against Lithuania on 28 March. He had also set up a goal in the 3-1 defeat of Bulgaria three days earlier.

• Salah scored twice in Egypt's concluding 4-0 win against Comoros in their successful CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign on 29 March.

• On 30 March Jota scored in Portugal's 3-1 win against Luxembourg while Georginio Wijnaldum scored one goal and set up another as the Netherlands beat Gibraltar 7-0, both in World Cup qualifying.

• Curtis Jones scored England's winner in a 2-1 UEFA European Under-21 Championship victory against Croatia on 31 March, although it was Croatia who progressed to the quarter-finals at England's expense.

• Van Dijk and Thiago Alcántara were included in the UEFA.com fans' Men's Team of the Year 2020.