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PARIS. — Cristiano Ronaldo needs one goal to match the Champions League soccer’s all-time leading scorer when Real Madrid hosts Liverpool tonight.
At the rate the forward is sweeping in goals, Ronaldo has a good chance to match and even break Raul Gonzalez’s mark of 71 goals in front of the same Santiago Bernabeu crowd that used to chant Raul’s name.
Madrid would qualify for the knock-out rounds with a second straight win over Liverpool in Group B.
Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Barcelona, Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund and FC Porto can also advance from the group phase this week, leaving two games to spare.
Ronaldo is doing his best to erase memories of Portugal’s poor showing at this year’s World Cup and boost his chances of winning a second consecutive Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldo has scored in 12 straight appearances in all competitions for Madrid. His goal on Saturday, which sparked a 4-0 rout at Granada on Saturday, made him the first Madrid player to score in eight consecutive Spanish league appearances.
He leads the Spanish league with 17 goals and has 22 overall for his club, including the one he scored last month to set Madrid on its way to a commanding 3-0 win at Liverpool.
Ronaldo will also have the extra motivation of not giving Lionel Messi the chance to reach Raul’s record first.
Messi has 69 goals heading into Barcelona’s match at Ajax tomorrow.
Liverpool were outclassed in the first meeting and will face an even tougher task with Madrid playing their best football since the arrival of coach Carlo Ancelotti last season.
Real Madrid, now top of the Spanish La Liga, are on a club record of 11 straight wins in all competitions as they host five-time European champions Liverpool in Group B, having beaten them 3-0 at Anfield on matchday three.
The main interest in that group appears to be who finishes second, with three teams all on three points. Basle and Ludogorets play their return game in Switzerland tonight after the Bulgarians won 1-0 at home.
“We’re still very much in the group to qualify, which is the objective,” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said ahead of a daunting trip to the Spanish capital.
“It’s a big ask playing against arguably the best team in the world at the moment. But we’ll go into it with confidence.”
“We are on a good run,” said former Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa. “We have won 11 in a row and we want to make it 12 against Liverpool.”
The European champions have outscored opponents 46-7 during their winning streak and haven’t lost at home in European competition since April 2011, winning 16 of 18 home matches. Also in Group B, Basle host Ludogorets.
Real Madrid’s Wales winger Gareth Bale has recovered from a muscle injury and should be available for today’s Champions League Group B match at home to Liverpool, coach Carlo Ancelotti said yesterday.
Uefa Champions League Fixtures
(all 9:45pm unless stated)
Today:
Juventus v Olympiakos; Malmö FF v Atletico Madrid; FC Basel v Ludo Razgd; Real Madrid v Liverpool; Zenit St P v Bayer Levkn (7pm); Benfica v Monaco; Arsenal v Anderlecht; Borussia Dortmund v Galatasaray.
Tomorrow:
Bayern Munich v Roma; Manchester City v CSKA Moscow; Ajax v Barcelona; Paris St G v Apoel Nic; NK Maribor v Chelsea; Sporting Lisbon v Schalke; Athletico Bilbao v FC Porto; Shakt Donsk v BATE Bor. — AFP.
Online Reporter