Real Madrid’s Brazilian defender Eder Militao (back) heads the ball over Liverpool’s Senegalese striker Sadio Mane during the UEFA Champions League first leg quarter-final football match between Real Madrid and Liverpool at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Valdebebas in the outskirts of Madrid on April 6, 2021. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP)
Zinedine Zidane was forced to shuffle his defence as Eder Militao came in for Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Liverpool on Tuesday.
With Raphael Varane testing positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday morning and Sergio Ramos out injured, Militao was picked in central defence alongside Nacho Fernandez.
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp handed Naby Keita a surprise start in midfield ahead of Thiago Alcantara.
The in-form Diogo Jota was also preferred to Roberto Firmino, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane completing Liverpool’s front three.
Starting line-ups for the Champions League quarter-final first leg between Real Madrid and Liverpool at Valdebebas on Tuesday (kick-off 1900 GMT): Real Madrid (4-3-3)
Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Eder Militao, Nacho Fernandez, Ferland Mendy; Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Luka Modric; Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior
Coach: Zinedine Zidane (FRA)
Liverpool (4-3-3)
Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ozan Kabak, Nat Phillips, Andrew Robertson; Naby Keita, Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum; Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane
Coach: Jurgen Klopp (GER)
Referee: Felix Brych (GER)