UEFA has appointed Istvan Kovacs to officiate Tuesday’s Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
For Liverpool, that choice may not be ideal. The Romanian referee oversaw the first leg of the sides’ Round of 16 tie in the 2022/23 campaign, which Real Madrid won 5–2. He also handled the opening leg of the 2021/22 semifinal between Real Madrid and Manchester City, as well as a playoff meeting between those clubs in the first season of the new Champions League league format.
Kovacs will have fellow Romanians Ferencz Tunyogi and Marcel Birsan as his assistants. Germany’s Bastian Dankert will operate VAR, with Swiss official Fedayi San acting as the assistant VAR.
The match carries emotional weight for Xabi Alonso, who returns to Anfield as a manager for only the second time. The former Spain midfielder made 210 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 19 goals across five years. His previous visit as a coach ended in a 4–0 loss while managing Bayer Leverkusen.
Another returning figure is Trent Alexander-Arnold. The ex-Liverpool vice-captain left his boyhood club for Real Madrid in the summer, a move that sparked controversy. Speaking to Prime Video Sport, he admitted he isn’t sure how the fans will react — boos are very possible.
“However the fans respond is up to them,” he said. “I’ll always love Liverpool and be grateful for what we achieved together. Those memories will stay with me forever. Regardless of how I’m welcomed, my feelings for the club won’t change.”
Real Madrid have had the upper hand over Liverpool in recent years, winning seven of their past 11 encounters, drawing once and losing three.
Meetings between the clubs tend to deliver fireworks. Madrid’s 5–2 win in 2023 and Liverpool’s iconic 4–0 victory in 2008 are among the standout results.
Last season’s clash featured two memorable Mbappé-related moments: Conor Bradley’s robust sliding challenge that sparked a flurry of memes and merchandise, and Caoimhin Kelleher saving an Mbappé penalty after Andy Robertson gave away a soft spot-kick. Back then, Mbappé had nine goals in his first 18 Real Madrid matches. This season, he already has 18 goals in just 14 games.
While much attention will be on Alexander-Arnold’s homecoming and the presence of Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Jr., Mbappé is expected to be Liverpool’s biggest threat.
“Time will show how many goals he’ll score,” said the Real Madrid coach after Mbappé netted twice in Saturday’s 4–0 win against Valencia.
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