CARLO ANCELOTTI, the Real Madrid coach, insists it is impossible for forward Cristiano Ronaldo to be in better form.

The Portugal internationalist broke a 71-year-old Primera Division record at the weekend by taking his tally to 15 goals in eight matches and he has now scored a staggering 271 goals in 258 club appearances.

He is just two away from equalling club icon Raul's Champions League record of 71 and Ancelotti believes the forward cannot do much more at present. "Ronaldo is in a fantastic moment and is doing really well, it is impossible to do better," said the Italian, who said he was honoured to have matched "fantastic" former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley's record of winning three European Cups. "He is really focused and wants to try to do the best so this moment will continue."

Team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa, a former Liverpool defender, said playing alongside Ronaldo for the last six years he has noticed a significant upturn in the last couple of seasons. "It is a question which keeps recurring and we can only use superlatives all the time," Arbeloa said. "Even if you compared to what he was like two years ago, you wouldn't believe the numbers he is now achieving . . . he is at the most confident he has been in his career."

Ronaldo may be high on confidence but he will run out against Liverpool at Anfield tonight for their Champions League Group B encounter knowing that he has not scored at the ground in five previous attempts with Manchester United.

Real arrived on Merseyside without Wales international Gareth Bale, whose abdominal injury has ruled him out of this match and the weekend's game against Barcelona.

Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, admits the phenomenal form of Ronaldo, plus the threat of Bale's likely replacement Isco, means Real are unlikely to be noticeably weakened.

"Gareth Bale is a world-class player with fantastic speed and fantastic talent, but with the squad Real Madrid have they can bring in players like Isco so I don't think really it's an advantage if he doesn't play," said Rodgers.

"It's still going to be a very difficult game for us."

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admits the direction his side and Real have taken in the last five years means this meeting should be regarded as a "bonus" match.

In 2009 Gerrard was at the centre of a thrilling 4-0 victory over the Spanish giants - their largest away defeat in Europe - scoring twice as Fernando Torres ran riot against the visitors.

Fast-forward to the present day and Real arrive as defending champions after lifting their 10th European title in May while Liverpool are still acclimatising to a first season back among Europe's elite after a five-year absence.

Gerrard described their start to the season as "stuttering", with the team yet to find anything like their scintillating form of last season, but he is confident they can raise their game.

"Everyone knows what this club is about and its history and it is very important we keep Champions League football here for as long as we can," he said.

"That was a wonderful evening for myself and the team back in 2009, it was a fabulous team performance and we are looking for the performance level to be similar tomorrow night if we want a positive result.

"It is nights like that which live with you forever; when giants like Real Madrid come into town and you manage to perform really well and get a good result they are fantastic memories.

"Looking back at that game the reason we came out on top is because we were very aggressive both with and without the ball; we pressed from the front and we also had a world-class talent in Fernando Torres who set the tempo on the night and we all came in behind him.

"With all due respect to the team back in 2009, Real Madrid have progressed and improved and, like they showed last year, they are a fantastic team so we have huge respect for the new Real Madrid team.

"This is almost like a bonus game for us - a game we need to enjoy - but I've been around for a long time and I know you only enjoy nights like this when you put in a good performance as a team and we are hoping we surprise and shock a few people tomorrow.

"We are new back in the Champions League, we have only had a couple of games back in so I am not sure Real Madrid will come with any fear, I think they will come in full of confidence.

"I am not sure there are many opponents Real worry about facing at the moment but for us this is a fantastic challenge, one we have worked very hard for.

"We are progressing as a team, we are moving forward and trying to improve."