Xabi Alonso and Trent Alexander-Arnold will return to Anfield when Real Madrid visits Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

It promises to be an emotional occasion for the Madrid coach, who made over 200 appearances for Liverpool and won the Champions League and FA Cup with the club before joining Madrid in 2009.

Xabi Alonso (3rd L), head coach of Real Madrid attends a training session at Almaty Central Stadium ahead of the UEFA Champions League match against Kairat Almaty in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Sept. 29, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

But while Alonso can expect a warm welcome from the home fans, Alexander-Arnold may receive a cooler reception after rejecting a new contract from his boyhood club last summer to sign for Madrid.

The fullback is unlikely to start despite recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for almost two months. He remained an unused substitute in Madrid's 4-0 win over Valencia on Saturday, with Federico Valverde continuing at right-back even though Alonso could have reintroduced him with the result long decided.

Kylian Mbappe will lead Madrid's attack against a Liverpool side that beat Aston Villa 2-0 on Saturday to end a poor run that had raised questions over its summer recruitment, particularly in defense.

Notably, the only outfield summer signing in Liverpool's starting lineup on Saturday was Hugo Ekitike, though Giorgi Mamardashvili started in goal for the injured Alisson Becker.

Liverpool comfortably defeated Madrid in the group stage of last season's Champions League, and Tuesday's match will offer a good measure of how both sides have evolved since then.