Five time European Cup champions Liverpool take on the all-time record-holders Real Madrid, who have won the competition nine times, in the first-leg of the last sixteen of the Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, kick-off on Wednesday, at 19:45 hours (GMT). The clash will be a welcome return to the Spanish capital for Fernando Torres. The striker, who missed the Group D match versus Atletico Madrid through injury, will face a team he knows only too well.

The Merseysiders, who lie second in the Premier League, will be targeting a fourth quarter-final in five years against a Real Madrid side, who also lie second in their domestic league competition, and who have not made the quarterfinal stages of the knock-out competition since 2004.

Liverpool progressed from the first stage as Group D winners, with four victories and two draws, finishing ahead of Real’s city rivals Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid finished runners-up in Group H behind Juventus, with four wins and two defeats.

You have to go back to the 1980/81 European Cup final in Paris for the last and only time Liverpool and Real Madrid played in a competitive match. The game was a tight affair with very few chances for either side until Alan Kennedy's solitary 81st minute strike broke the deadlock. Kennedy made a strong run down the left flank before surprising the Real Madrid keeper with a shot that beat Agustin Rodriguez at the near post.

The Reds will have one player from the 81 final sat on the bench as Sammy Lee who played at right-back in the 1-0 victory, is the current Liverpool assistant manager.

Real Madrid, who arrive on the back of an impressive 6-1 win over Real Betis, have the competition’s two all-time top goalscorers, Raul Gonzalez Blanco and Ruud Van Nistelrooy (the striker is out injured for the remainder of the season). Raul has scored 64 goals in 127 appearances, meanwhile his Dutch counterpart has 60 goals in 79 appearances.

Fernando Torres’ first taste of Champions League football did not arrive until last season. The striker had never played in Europe’s top club competition until he signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2007. Torres, who has yet to open his account this year in Europe (injuries have reduced the striker’s appearances to just three), scored 6 goals in 10 appearances last season for the Reds.

Real Madrid manager Juande Ramos faced Fernando Torres’ Liverpool twice last season during his time at the helm of Tottenham. The two teams drew 2-2 draw at Anfield as Torres scored a 90th minute equaliser. The return fixture at White Hart Lane was comfortably won by the Merseysiders with Fernando Torres again on the scoresheet.

The match will also mark a return to the Santiago Bernabeu for Rafa Benitez. The Liverpool boss spent part of his playing career at Real Madrid Castilla before going on to coach several youth teams at Madrid.

Liverpool's squad features five Spanish players: Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa, Pepe Reina, Albert Riera and Fernando Torres. The quintet will be up against several familiar faces when the ball gets rolling in the Champions League tie. All five played their football in Spain, but the clash will no doubt have Arbeloa and Torres extra-motivated. The full-back is a product of the White’s youth academy and the Liverpool number ‘9’ defended Atletico Madrid’s jersey from the age of 11 to his move to Anfield.

As a matter of fact, there will be more Euro 2008 winners in the Liverpool squad than in Real Madrid’s. The Reds have Pepe Reina, Arbeloa, Alonso and the hero from the final Fernando Torres. The Whites for their part have Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos.
Come Wednesday, Fernando Torres will be looking to beat Real Madrid for the first time in nine attempts (all for Atletico Madrid). The striker, who opened his goalscoring account in his final Madrid derby back on 24 February 2007, will be hoping to to add to his tally almost two years to the day he scored his first derby goal.

The second leg will be played at Anfield on 10 March.


- The full draw is as follows:

Chelsea v Juventus
Villarreal v Panathinaikos
Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid v Porto
Lyon v Barcelona
Real Madrid v Liverpool
Arsenal v Roma
Inter Milan v Man Utd


Photo: Nike