Liverpool might welcome a return to UEFA Champions League (UCL) action given their mounting domestic struggles. Defending a 2-0 first-leg lead following a record sixth consecutive home league defeat at the weekend, playing at a neutral venue might release the shackles somewhat for a side that hasn’t registered a goal in open play at Anfield this calendar year!
Now unbeaten in 11 UEFA competition games against German clubs (W8, D3), the ‘Reds’ have kept clean sheets in five of their last seven UCL knockout matches as the designated home side. Furthermore, they’ve only lost once to a German side in fixtures played on neutral territory (W3, D1) and have never failed to progress after holding a first-leg lead in European competition.
Nevertheless, their recent results have proved that such records are there to be broken and that must offer confidence to RB Leipzig, who travel in good domestic form. They lie second in the Bundesliga following a 3-0 win over Freiburg (Mar 6) having won their last eight domestic matches – three of the last four ‘to nil’ after scoring 2+ goals.
Furthermore, their five previous UEFA fixtures against English clubs held anywhere produced an average of 3.2 goals per game (W3, L2). However, needing to win by two clear goals at 90 minutes here to avoid exiting the competition, they’re aiming for something they’ve only managed in two of the previous ten UCL away games (W5, D1, L4) – although they did win 1-0 at Tottenham Hotspur at this stage last term.

11.03.21 01:30IST

Prediction: Total goals scored will be Over 1.5