"They are one of the best teams in the world" - Real Madrid star makes admission ahead of Champions League showdown with Liverpool

Real Madrid defender David Alaba is bracing for a difficult duel in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 against Liverpool, despite the Reds' struggles this season. The Austria international has been with Los Blancos since 2021 and claimed victory against Jurgen Klopp's men in the final of the Champions League with Madrid last season.

Carlo Ancelotti's charges are tipped to emerge victorious from this two-legged affair as they occupy second place in La Liga. Klopp’s outfit, on the other hand, are languishing sixth in England’s top flight, having struggled to meet expectations so far this season.

Liverpool 🆚 Real Madrid memories...

#UCLdraw https://t.co/fKGDBaekdB

However, Alaba is under no illusions about how difficult this tie will be. Speaking to Bild, the former Bayern Munich defender revealed (via Liverpool Echo):

"We also want to compete well in the other competitions, although we know that the game against Liverpool in the Champions League will be brutally difficult. It's going to be a fantastic round of 16. The games against Liverpool are always real fights, they are one of the best teams in the world. It will be a difficult task, but we want to go to the next round."

📊| Real Madrid and Liverpool met 6 times in the last 8 years.

• 6 Games.
• 5 Wins. (Champions League final 2018, 2022)
• 1 Draw. https://t.co/OE56nhKafy

Alaba also revealed his future ambitions with Los Blancos, stating:

"I want to celebrate successes: personal, with Real Madrid and with the national team. We want to win the league, be at the top. That is my ambition, I do not understand things in any other way."

The Merseysiders clashed with their Spanish counterparts in the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League final, with Alaba starting in the center of defense alongside Eder Militao. Although the Reds dominated the proceedings, they failed to beat Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who made a record nine saves. The Madridistas secured a 1-0 win through Vinicius Junior.

Los Blancos will face their continental foes at Anfield late next month, while the return clash will be played at the Santiago Bernabeu in mid-March.

Real Madrid set their sights on defender who named Liverpool his dream club

Real Madrid have their sights set on Josko Gvardiol of RB Leipzig, who put in a stunning performance at the World Cup with Croatia and was a top performer in Qatar. However, according to The Real Champs, Leipzig would demand an exorbitant fee to let the defender go - likely over €100 million.

But while Real Madrid are interested, Gvardiol has his heart set on Anfield. Speaking to RTL Danas (via Mirror), he revealed his feelings around the Merseyside outfit:

“Since I was little, I watched a lot of Liverpool matches with my dad, and we covered every season in detail. It is a club that has remained in my heart.”