Benzema poised to return as Ancelotti fears repeat of Miracle at Istanbul.

After a comeback win at the weekend, Los Blancos are back in the star-studded arena of champions, looking to defend a three-goal lead for a spot in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

Real Madrid CF vs. Liverpool FC kicks off at 21:00 (GMT+1) on Wednesday, March 15 at the Santiago Bernabéu. Referee Felix Zwayer [GER] will have Marco Fritz [GER] as the VAR for this second-leg round-of-16 clash. Real Madrid picked up a comeback 3-1 win over Espanyol at the weekend, after goals from Vinícius Júnior [22’], Éder Militão [39’] and Marco Asensio [90’+3] flipped the game on its head.

It was the first win for the club in four games across all competitions [WDLDW] as they head into the midweek UCL clash with the Reds, looking to complete the task after a 5-2 win in the first leg. "Unfortunately, this tie isn't finished,'' Carlo Ancelotti said, despite the three-goal lead, possibly recalling his nightmare experience in a 2005 UCL final as Milan's coach, where Liverpool pulled off the Miracle at Istanbul.

It etched itself into UEFA Champions League history as one of the greatest moments of the competition after Liverpool erased a three-goal deficit in the 2005 UCL final against AC Milan and picked up the title via penalties.

However, Madrid have progressed in 26 of their previous 27 European Cup/UEFA Champions League two-legged fixtures in which they have won the first leg away from home. Furthermore, the Whites have won six of their last seven UEFA Champions League games against Liverpool [6W, 1D, 0L].

Benzema failed to feature at the weekend against Espanyol but is expected to return at the center of Carlo Ancelotti’s attacking trio. A 4—3—3 with the Frenchman, Vinícius Júnior, and Federico Valverde in attack is anticipated.

After an impressive 7-0 win over Manchester United, Liverpool were stunned in a 1-0 shock loss to relegation-threatened Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday. A lethargic Virgil van Dijk failed to inspire any confidence in defense, while Mohamed Salah, who had a chance to score from the penalty spot, fired the ball into the crowd.

The defeat was Liverpool’s second in five games across all competitions [LDWWL], leaving them on the edge as they look to overturn a three-goal deficit. However, the Reds are no strangers to comebacks on European soil. "I think Carlo [Ancelotti] thinks the tie is over. I think so as well at the moment," Jurgen Klopp said.

However, Klopp would have his fingers crossed knowing an early goal could change the complexion of the game, having steered Liverpool to a historic comeback against Barcelona in a 4-3 aggregate win after a 3-0 loss at Camp Nou in 2019. An attacking trio composed of Darwin Núñez, Cody Gakpo, and Mohamed Salah is expected for Wednesday’s clash.