Rodgers calls on Reds to rise to Real challenge

Brendan Rodgers has challenged his Liverpool players to rise to the occasion when they face holder Real Madrid in a crucial Champions League showdown at Anfield on Wednesday.

Rodgers' side can't afford to lose any more ground in the race to qualify for the knockout stages after a loss against Basel in its previous Group B match.

The Reds have been well below their best for much of the season and there were more worrying signs for Rodgers on Sunday when QPR, the Premier League's bottom club, outplayed Liverpool for long periods of a chaotic encounter.