The intensity of this season's UEFA Champions League is just getting heated as the quarterfinal games come to live.

One of the biggest fixtures is definitely between two former Champions, Real Madrid and Liverpool. While the Spanish giant have won it 13 times, Liverpool remain the most successful English side in the UCL with 6 titles, their recent coming in 2019 when they defeated Tottenham in a one-sided final.

This is the first time both teams will be squaring up after their clash in the 2018 final where Real Madrid ran out 3-1 winners to claim their third consecutive UCL title under Zinedine Zidane.

One of the biggest talking points from that game was the injury to Liverpool star, Mohammed Salah, whose shoulder was wrestled by Real Madrid's captain, Sergio Ramos.

Today's encounter promises to be a cracker, given that both teams have been far from convincing in their respective league campaigns. Although Liverpool are the premier league defending champions, they currently lie 7th on the log and Real Madrid are tied in a three-horse race for the La Liga title with neighbors, Atletico Madrid and rivals, Barcelona.

Sadly for the Madrid team, they will be without their influential captain, Sergio Ramos, who sustained an injury during the international break with Spain as well as Eden Hazard who has had an injury-plagued career in the Spanish capital despite recovering in time from a hip injury.

The Liverpool side have no new injury concerns asides from the already long time absentees like Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez. They will be boosted by the return to form of fit-again attacker, Diogo Jota, who bagged a brace against Arsenal over the weekend.

Interestingly, Liverpool have lost their last three meetings against Real Madrid in the Champions League, however, Jurgen Klopp has won his last five games in the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League.

I feel with Liverpool's resurgence, they will prove a hard nut to crack and with Zidane and Real Madrid haven proven to be European specialists even when they're not doing well on the home front, this match would most likely end with either side winning by a slim margin but I do not envisage a draw. Goal may be aplenty though.