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.”