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Real Madrid take on Liverpool in the quarter-final of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League first leg on Tuesday.
This will be the first meeting between the two sides since the 2018 final, which the Spanish team won 3-1, thanks to a Gareth Bale brace. Both former champions were eliminated from the Round of 16 last season but have reached the last eight this campaign.
Real Madrid have been in fine form in the La Liga, where they are three points behind league leaders Atletico Madrid. Liverpool, meanwhile, are struggling to qualify in the top four after a dismal title-defence campaign.
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Nonetheless, Liverpool have enjoyed a great run of form in the Champions League this season and could be more than a handful for Real Madrid.
Both teams have a plethora of talented players who also have immense experience of playing in the continental tournament, which makes this game a must-watch this week.
On that note, let's take a look at five players from either team who could play key roles in the outcome of this game.
#1 Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Though Real Madrid have a lot of depth in their ranks, Casemiro has proven himself to be indispensable.
He enjoys doing the dirty work in the middle of the park and his ability to break up play have has in handy for Real Madrid in various games across all competitions.
This season, Casemiro has also contributed in front of goal, scoring five times in the La Liga and also finding the back of the net once in the Champions League.
Defensively, he has been a rock for Real Madrid and leads in ball recoveries, tackles, interceptions and blocks.
Against Liverpool, he will most likely go up against Thiago Alcantara in the middle of the park, which could make for a pretty enticing duel.
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#2 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Liverpool's strength over the last few seasons has been their prolific attack led by Mohamed Salah. He has been in great form in front of goal since arriving at Anfield and has found great support in Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
Like in every season, Salah has hit the ground running this term as well. He has scored 18 goals in the Premier League and five more in the Champions League.
His pace and lethal left foot have been the undoing of a lot of opponents across various competitions, something Real Madrid will need to be wary of. Salah was injured in the Champions League final against the La Liga giants in 2018 but has the chance to redeem himself now
#3 Diogo Jota - (Liverpool)
In Diogo Jota, Liverpool have unearthed a rare attacking talent as their investment of £41 million in the summer is paying rich dividends.
The young Portuguese international has scored 12 goals across all competitions and was on fire against Arsenal, scoring twice after coming off the bench.
Jota has a keen eye for goal, and his pace makes him a threat in the final third. He has fit in very well at Liverpool in his debut season, and despite tough competition for a place in the starting XI, Jota has made himself a key member of the team.
With the defence relatively weaker in the absence of Virgil Van Dijk, it will be up to Liverpool's attackers to win the game at Real Madrid, and Jota could prove to be very useful in that regard for Jurgen Klopp.
#4 Karim Benzema - (Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema has been scoring goals for Real Madrid for over a decade. but he has netted some key ones this campaign. In the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, the responsibility of providing flair in the final third has fallen on the Frenchman.
Benzema has taken that responsibility with aplomb. Only four players have scored more goals with the Spanish capital club than Benzema, whose tally for Real Madrid stands at 273. Only Ronaldo (450), Raul (323), Alfredo Di Stefano (308) and Santillana (290) are ahead of Benzema in Real Madrid's all-time scoring list.
Among all-time top-scorers in the Champions League, Benzema is only behind Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski.
With Van Dijk unavailable for Liverpool, Benzema could make the most of his experience and physical ability in the box to create problems for Liverpool.
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