LONDON: Two of Europe’s greatest clubs with 15 European Cup successes between them renew their rivalry at Anfield on Wednesday with Liverpool looking to preserve their unlikely 100 percent record against Real Madrid in Europe’s elite competition.

Real, the reigning European champions, have lost all three competitive European matches they have played against Liverpool: the 1981 European Cup final when Liverpool beat them 1-0 in Paris as well as 4-0 and 1-0 defeats in the last-16 of the Champions League in 2009.

But Real arrive for their Group ‘B’ match in great form, having won their last seven matches in all competitions following their second successive 5-0 win in La Liga, over Levante on Saturday.

Liverpool meanwhile are under pressure to perform after a lame 1-0 defeat at Basel last time out, but they will need to defend better than they did in beating Queens Park Rangers 3-2 in the Premier League on Sunday when they needed the help of two own goals from the struggling London side for a late victory.

Still, coach Brendan Rodgers says he is keen to face Real on Wednesday.

“Real Madrid are playing as well as they have played for the last five to 10 years, the threats they have,” he said after the QPR game. “I am really looking forward to that.”

Real’s win at Levante featured another two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, who has now scored 15 goals in seven La Liga starts this season.

Real coach Carlos Ancelotti, always keen to do well against Liverpool after they beat his AC Milan side on penalties in the famous 2005 final in Istanbul after trailing 3-0 at half-time, has two big games ahead of him this week.

After the trip to Anfield comes the first Clasico of the season against Barcelona next weekend.

“We are on a good run but we need to remember that behind the goals there is sacrifice, fight and concentration. You don’t score without sacrifice and concentration. The best players realise that,” Ancelotti said.

A rousing 1-0 win against Liverpool at the St Jakob-Park three weeks ago boosted Basel’s prospects of progressing to the last 16 from Group ‘B’ ahead of a double-header against Bulgarian side Ludogorets Razgrad who are still looking for a first point in their debut group-stage campaign after running Liverpool and Real close.

Like Real, Borussia Dortmund also have maximum six points heading into the third round of group matches and the Champions League can’t come quickly enough for Jurgen Klopp’s men, who play Galatasaray on Wednesday.

After four defeats in five Bundesliga games without a win, 2013 finalists Dortmund are looking to European competition for relief.

“You can call it a crisis. What else?” said Dortmund sport director Michael Zorc after Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Cologne, the third in a row.

Dortmund have two wins from two Group ‘D’ games in the Champions League, however, with no goals conceded against Arsenal or Anderlecht.

It contrasts starkly with the side’s domestic form, which has seen goals conceded in every game.

Galatasaray are traditionally strong at home in Europe and are buoyant after beating Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce 2-1 at the weekend thanks to two Wesley Sneijder stunners but have just one point so far in the group.

Arsenal make the short trip to Brussels to face Anderlecht in the group’s other game, looking to build on a convincing 4-1 win against Galatasaray in their last match.

In a finely-poised Group ‘A’ with all four teams level on three points, Spanish champions Atletico can ill afford a slip-up at the Vicente Calderon against a Malmo side that lost away to Juventus but then beat Olympiakos.

“It is a very important match to maintain a strong position in the group. Nothing else matters to us just now, “said Atletico midfielder Mario Suarez, who scored in Sunday’s 2-0 win against Espanyol in La Liga.

Diego Simeone’s side, runners-up last season, lost at Olympiakos in matchday one but recovered to beat Juventus at home last time out.

Juventus will look to avoid a second straight defeat when they travel to the hostile surrounds of Olympiakos’ Karaiskakis stadium which promises to be just as tough for the Italian champions as it was for Atletico.

Zenit St Petersburg head to Germany to face Bayer Leverkusen in Group ‘C’ looking to extend a 16-match unbeaten run in all competitions but the Russian Premier League leaders have drawn their last three games, including a frustrating goalless stalemate with Monaco in the Champions League three weeks ago.

Leverkusen lost 1-0 at Monaco in their opening game but the 2002 beaten finalists beat Benfica in their last Group ‘C’ outing.

Monaco meet Portuguese opposition for the first time since their 3-0 defeat to Porto in the 2004 final when they host pointless Benfica at the Stade Louis II.

Benfica’s two losses in the Champions League contrast with their solid form in the Portuguese title race, where they are undefeated after seven games and have a four-point lead.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2014