When Real Madrid plays Manchester City in the Champions League, Trent Alexander-Arnold and former Liverpool coach Pep Lijnders will reconnect. At the Bernabéu, the two teams are getting ready for the first leg of their round of 16 match. Last summer, the right-back left Liverpool and finalised a transfer to Los Blancos. Injuries have restricted Alexander-Arnold’s impact during his debut season in Spain, despite the fact that he was crucial to the Reds’ recent victory.
Though such rumours have since been refuted, there was fresh conjecture that the England international may depart Madrid at the end of the current campaign. Alexander-Arnold is competing to start versus City after regaining his spot in the team under boss Alvaro Arbeloa after resolving his fitness concerns.
Lijnders, the assistant coach to Pep Guardiola, may have the best understanding of Alexander-Arnold’s style of play. After coaching the full-back at Liverpool’s academy, the Dutchman continued to have an impact on him as a member of the first-team staff for nearly the entirety of Jurgen Klopp’s stint at Anfield.
Man City assistant has made his feelings clear on Alexander-Arnold
The next season, Alexander-Arnold was crucial to Liverpool’s quest for an unprecedented quadruple. He made 47 appearances across all competitions as Klopp’s squad won both domestic cups but lost the Champions League final and fell one point short of the top place in the league.
After Virgil van Dijk assumed the armband, the defender continued to play for Anfield for three more years before taking on the role of vice captain. Before leaving for Real Madrid in the summer of 2025, he led the team many times, including in a Premier League triumph against Aston Villa during Klopp’s last season.
Despite finishing just one point behind Pep Guardiola’s team in the league phase, his new team will face City in the Champions League after needing an additional play-off round in Europe. The teams have faced off in Europe over the past two seasons, with City winning in Spain in December 2025 and Madrid winning a knockout play-off last season.
