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According to AS, Real Madrid star Ferland Mendy is likely to miss the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Liverpool.
Mendy was substituted in the 44th minute of the 3-1 Copa del Rey win against Atletico Madrid. According to Arancha Rodriguez of COPE, he suffered a left-thigh injury against Atleti.
Los Blancos will face Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League first leg on February 22. They will make the trip to Anfield for the first leg of the tie.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, launched a stunning comeback against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey quarter-final. After Alvaro Morata opened the scoring in the 19th minute, Rodrygo (78'), Karim Benzema (103'), and Vinicius Jr. (120+1') completed the comeback for the team.
Carlo Ancelotti showered praise on his players for their fighting spirit. He said (via Los Blancos' official website):
"The most important factor is that everyone was more committed. We've been helped a lot by the bench and at this stage of the season we need everyone on the bench to be able to contribute. We have too many games.
"It was a very tough and competitive game today against a very strong team. They were better in the first half and our second half was very good and we put in as much effort as we could. A bit of individual quality saw us to level things up and our fans' support put us right on track during extra time."
The Madrid giants will return to action as they take on Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu in a La Liga clash.
Paul Merson predicted the UEFA Champions League showdown between Liverpool and Real Madrid
Pundit Paul Merson recently shared his prediction for the upcoming UEFA Champions League showdown between Liverpool and Real Madrid. The former Arsenal star claimed Los Blancos have too much experience in their ranks to lose to a struggling side like the Reds.
He said (via Rousing the Kop):
“I’d back Real Madrid to beat Liverpool over two legs. They have huge experience in the UEFA Champions League, but I don’t expect them to ride their luck this time. They were virtually out three times last year and were very lucky – I don’t see it happening for them this year.”
