Dejan Lovren: 'Real Madrid will have it harder than Queens Park Rangers'

Dejan Lovren has warned his Liverpool teammates that they can ill afford another sloppy defensive display when Real Madrid visit Anfield in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Brendan Rodgers's side were involved in one of the most thrilling games of the Premier League season in Sunday's frantic 3-2 win over Queens Park Rangers.

Yet the result highlighted the Reds' defensive frailties as Liverpool conceded twice in the dying stages before forcing a 95th-minute winner, courtesy of Steven Caulker's own goal.

However, defender Lovren is convinced that he and his teammates will brush off what happened at Loftus Road and prove themselves against the European champions.

"We will not play as we did against QPR when we play Real Madrid, you can be sure of that. We will be better," Lovren told The Mirror.

"We cannot play the way we did against QPR 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."

Wednesday's clash kicks off at 7.45pm.