- The UEFA Champions League round of 16 returns tonight on Tuesday, February 21 2023
- Real Madrid will visit Liverpool, while Eintracht Frankfurt will play host to Napoli on Tuesday
- SportsLeo, with the help of stats perform, takes a look at stats ahead of the two big clashes on Tuesday night
Real Madrid will go to Anfield on Tuesday to reprise the 2022 UEFA Champions League final to inflict more significant damage on Liverpool in the round of 16.
Madrid won the coveted trophy in Paris last May, but despite Liverpool’s struggles in the Premier League this year, their recent European performance would indicate that they should present a stiff challenge for a team that has had Madrid’s number in recent years.
When Napoli, the lopsided Serie A leaders, march into town, reigning Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt will try to keep up their impressive European play.
This season, Napoli has faced up against everyone, establishing itself as a major power in Europe while dominating Serie A.
Courtesy of Stats Perform, SportsLeo looks at some vital statistics and information to be aware of before the ties.
Liverpool vs Real Madrid
Liverpool will host Real Madrid at Anfield in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday, February 21 2023. | PHOTO: Sky Sports |
While Liverpool tries to break the recent trend of Madrid domination, memories of the Champions League final from last season will still be vivid in the thoughts of these two teams.
After defeating Liverpool 1-0, the Spanish powerhouses won the European club football championship for the 14th time, ending a six-match losing streak for the English team.
With five losses and one draw dating back to 2009, that is the longest losing skid against any team Liverpool has ever experienced.
Madrid has just managed one victory in their last seven away games in England against Chelsea in 2022, so it hasn’t exactly been a good hunting ground for them lately (D2 L4).
The hosts’ outstanding European record this year—five straight victories in the league after dropping their opening match to Napoli—is another factor working in their favor.
The Reds must figure out a way to stop Vinicius Junior, who has directly assisted on seven goals in his last eight Champions League games, scoring five of them while dishing out two assists.
With one more goal, which would be his 44th, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah could surpass Didier Drogba of Chelsea as Africa’s all-time best scorer in the competition.
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Napoli
Randal Kolo Muani will lead the Eintracht Frankfurt attack when they host Napoli in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. | PHOTO: Bundesliga |
As they travel for the opening leg against Frankfurt, Napoli will dream of winning both the Serie A and the Champions League for the first time.
They will compete against a German team that has performed well in international play under head coach Oliver Glasner, with only two losses from 19 games (W10 D7), including a victory in the Europa League final against Rangers last year.
Since losing to Palermo in 2006, Frankfurt has won their last four matches against Italian teams, whereas Napoli has only managed two victories in their last 12 away games in Germany (D5 L5).
But Napoli has been a different animal this season, topping all clubs with 20 goals in the group stage. Under Luciano Spalletti, they score 3.3 goals per game on average in the league.
The key to Napoli’s success is rising sensation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who together with Dries Mertens (2017–18 season) are the only players in club history to have numerous games with a goal and an assist in the same Champions League campaign. He has the chance to make history because no Napoli player has ever done it in consecutive games.
Frankfurt, meanwhile, has a duo of productive goal scorers. This season, Daichi Kamada has scored in each of his team’s last three Champions League games, and Randal Kolo Muani has done the same in their previous two.
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