The Croatian defender is not happy with his side’s unconvincing efforts against QPR but has no fear of taking on the Champions League holders at Anfield on Wednesday

Dejan Lovren has promised fans that Liverpool will make the big improvements in performance necessary to compete with Real Madrid.

Brendan Rodgers’s men battled to an unconvincing 3-2 win over QPR in the Premier League on Sunday, just days out from facing the high-flying Spanish giants at Anfield.

Lovren, who partnered Martin Skrtel in the centre of defence at Loftus Road, is certain that the Reds will do better when they take on the Champions League holders.

“We will not play like that against Real Madrid, you can be sure of that,” he told reporters. “We will be better.

“We cannot play like this because we know what we can expect from Real Madrid. Their players, we know who they are and we will prepare a little bit different.

“It’s not daunting. It’s a pleasure to play against these players. I am not afraid. No-one in our team is afraid. We respect their players but we will show something completely different on Wednesday.”

In a remarkable finish at Loftus Road, four goals were scored in the dying stages as Steven Caulker’s own goal decided the contest in Liverpool’s favour.

Lovren says that he had expected more from his team, describing the first half as one of their worst of the Premier League campaign.

“We knew it would be a difficult game at QPR but I thought we would show a little bit more and that we would be a bit stronger but we weren’t,” he remarked.

“The first half was as bad as we’ve played in the opening eight games. The second half was much better but, when you are 1-0 up, you need to calm things. We had a chance for 2-0 and, if we had taken it, then it’s a different game.”

The Reds manager says that Carlo Ancelotti’s side are a fearsome prospect, particularly on the counterattack, with Los Blancos coming into the game on a scoring frenzy

Brendan Rodgers is under no illusions about the task that his Liverpool side face against free-scoring Real Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday.

Los Blancos head to Merseyside for a Champions League Group B encounter having won their last seven games in all competitions and coasted to back-to-back 5-0 victories.

Levante were the latest side to suffer at the hands of the European champions as the prolific Cristiano Ronaldo broke yet another record on Saturday.

The Portugal captain scored twice to become the first player to register 15 goals in the first eight matches of a Primera Division season, breaking a record which had stood since the 1943-44 campaign.

Ronaldo also scored in Champions League victories over Basel and Ludogorets, which have ensured Carlo Ancelotti’s side are top of Group B.

Liverpool are third in the group after they were beaten by Basel at the start of October and Rodgers knows that they will be up against it when they face the Spanish giants.

“Right now Madrid are a team with a level of performance I haven’t seen in years,” he told AS. “They have it all. Great experience, great players, speed, individual technique. It’s a fantastic squad with a wonderful coach in Carlo Ancelotti, a nice guy who also knows how to improve players.

“When there’s an open field there’s no-one better than Madrid in the world at counterattacks. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale could be in the Olympics with their speed over 100 metres.”

Ronaldo will be expecting a hostile reception from Liverpool fans thanks to his successful spell with their arch-rivals, Manchester United, but Rodgers knows that the European champions are by no means reliant on the Portuguese.

“He’s a player off the charts. His evolution in recent years, the way he has become a goalscorer, has been amazing,” said the Northern Irishman. “We need to know how to stop him but there is danger in other parts of the pitch.

“Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are two midfielders with great technique who can play short or long.”

Wales forward Bale is not expected to feature at Anfield due to a hip injury.

Liverpool head into the game on the back of a dramatic 3-2 victory against QPR on Sunday, in which they needed two own-goals to secure all three points.

Ancelotti coached a AC Milan side who were consigned to a remarkable defeat against Liverpool in the Champions League final in Istanbul back in 2005.

The Italian will no doubt be reminded of that when he attempts to maintain Madrid’s 100 per cent record in this year’s competition, as they strive to become the first team to defend the Champions League title.

Liverpool, who have won all three of their competitive matches against Los Blancos, will once again be without England striker Daniel Sturridge due to a calf injury and Mamadou Sakho (thigh) remains a doubt.

The Reds legend believes that the Italian would not be able to offer the aggressive pressing that Brendan Rodgers’s side will need when taking on the Champions League holders

Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli should be dropped and Raheem Sterling deployed in his position against Champions League holders Real Madrid, says club legend Jamie Carragher.

The former AC Milan striker has endured a tough start since his £16 million move late in the transfer window, missing a sitter against QPR on Sunday in a dismal display.

With a crucial European group game at Anfield on Wednesday, Carragher feels that Brendan Rodgers cannot afford to take the risk of the Italian producing another such performance.

“[Balotelli] doesn’t run around enough,” he told Sky Sports‘ ‘Monday Night Football’. “Against Real Madrid you’ve got to get that crowd going. You need to get back to Liverpool of last year and that pressing.

“There’s got to be an energy about Liverpool that we haven’t seen; we’ve seen it once this season at Spurs. It’s going on too long now and we can’t keep waiting. It’s a huge game and Liverpool have to get something from it.

“I would put Sterling in there because he can run in behind and Liverpool may have to counterattack a lot of the game. Madrid may have a lot of the ball. Sterling can also press from the front. He doesn’t have to play right up front and he can come back and help the midfield.

“They can’t have any passengers against Real Madrid.

“The decision I would make would be to bring Coutinho in for Balotelli. I wouldn’t play Balotelli in this game. I would play Sterling, whether you’d call it a centre forward or a false nine.

“I think it’s important Liverpool have three players [in front of Steven Gerrard] who work and get after Real Madrid and then Sterling, if he’s off the front, can run in behind people. I’d have Coutinho in a wide area.

“I think they can [get something from the game] but it’s how Brendan Rodgers sets up. You’ve got to get Anfield bouncing. There’s got to be an energy and intensity about Liverpool and enthusiasm.”