A European fixture steeped in history and memorable moments, Liverpool swept reigning champions Real Madrid aside in an effortless 2-0 victory thanks to two second-half goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo.
Arne Slot's men controlled the tempo from the off and nearly struck first inside a raucous Anfield with Darwin Nunez prvoving to be a menace up top. Thibaut Courtois thwarted the Uruguayan's effort early on before Raul Asencio was on hand with a goal-line clearance.
Sustaining a constant level of pressure throughout the opening half, the Merseyside-based outfit were unable to capatilise on a sleeping Los Blancos, who just about managed to keep a lid on the Reds.
Just over five minutes after the teams re-emerged from the tunnel, it was Mac Allister who fired Liverpool ahead in what was a memorable night on home soil. Latching onto Conor Bradley's deft touch, the Argentine shifted his body weight away from goal but placed it perfectly behind Courtois.
After a brief check with VAR, Andy Robertson's foul was deemed enough for Real Madrid's spot kick to stand as Kylian Mbappe - albeit against the grain of the fixture - stood from 12 yards out with the chance to equalise.
Liverpool then had the perfect opportunity to convert from the spot and double their lead in the process after Mohamed Salah's twinkle toe'd nature bamboozled the life out of Ferland Mendy. He, however, copied Mbappe and missed the resulting penalty. Gakpo then rose above the rest when nodding home Liverpool's second of the game.
Liverpool vs Real Madrid - Match Statistics
Liverpool
63
16
7
8
4
3
Match Highlights
Liverpool Player Ratings
liverpool champions league
GK – Caoimhin Kelleher – 8/10
The quieter of the goalkeepers in the affair's opening stage, Kelleher - standing in for the injured Alisson and doing a decent job of it - had very little to do. Denied Mbappe from the penalty spot. Wow.
RB – Conor Bradley – 9/10
Tasked with containing the pace and dynamism of none other than Mbappe, the youngster performed well under the Champions League lights. Anfield erupted when he slid in to thwart the Frenchman. What a sensational performance.
CB – Virgil van Dijk – 9/10
Steering the well-organised ship from the heart of the backline, Van Dijk was typically imperious. Nice and calm in possession, too, the skipper led by example.
CB – Ibrahima Konate – 9/10
An absolute titan alongside his partner in crime, the imposing defender's deceptive speed is an invaluable asset in defensive transition.
LB – Andy Robertson – 7/10
The Scot has seldom been at the races since the current campaign got underway in August but he was a reliable asset in the left-back berth against the reigning champions. Unfortunate to give away a spot kick.
CM – Ryan Gravenberch – 7/10
Indecisive in his passing, but enjoyed a physical battle with his opposite number, Camavinga, one in which he often lost.
CM – Alexis Mac Allister – 9.5/10
Allowed more freedom to maraud forward thanks to Gravenberch's role and delivered in a brilliant ball from a free-kick. The Reds were unable to benefit from his delivery but what a ball it was.
CM – Curtis Jones – 9/10
Picked up some lovely spaces in between the lines and rarely lost possession when on the ball. Relished in the cauldron-like atmosphere and his athleticism gave plenty for the home fans to sign and shout about.
RW – Mohamed Salah – 7.5/10
Liverpool's go-to man enjoyed a quiet opening 45 and that trickled into the second half, too. It's just lucky that the rest of the home side were at full throttle for the majority of the encounter. That was until his tricky feet turned Mendy inside out, winning a penalty in the process.
ST – Darwin Nunez – 8/10
A nuisance from minute one, how he didn't grab the opener is a mystery. One thing is for certain: you can never disregard the striker's undying effort with him looking to sniff out every loose ball possible.
LW – Luis Diaz – 8/10
A constant, darting threat on the left-hand side of Liverpool's attacking constellation. Looked more comfortable when centralised and alongside the likes of Jones.
Sub – Cody Gakpo (68') – 7/10
Doubled Liverpool's cushion with a brilliant header.
Sub – Dominik Szoboszlai (83') – 4/10
Struggled to emulate the exploits of Jones but did put himself about.
Sub – Joe Gomez (87') – 4/10
A sturdy presence at right-back
Real Madrid Player Ratings
real madrid-2GK – Thibaut Courtois – 7/10
Produced a brave stop in the 23rd minute to prevent Liverpool from drawing first blood. As seasoned as they come, the scoreline may have been very different if the Belgian was not between the posts.
RB – Federico Valverde – 6/10
Albeit energetic from the off, Valverde was forced to play out of position, covering for the injured Dani Carvajal, and it showed. Sheffted into midfield and looked much more secure in a centralised role.
CB – Antonio Rudiger – 5/10
Lazy in possession and all over the place when it came to picking up Nunez. A night to forget from a centre-back who is typically so reliable.
CB – Raul Asencio – 7/10
A name not too many outside of Spain's top flight that many will be familiar with, the 21-year-old recovered well from a slight hiccup in the first three minutes. Left little to be desired from a physical sense.
LB – Ferland Mendy – 4/10
Despite Salah not being up to scratch, Mendy still managed to stand out like a sore thumb in the Real Madrid defence, struggling to track third-man runs. Wasn't sure where he was when Salah was running at him. Hooked quickly after.
CM – Luka Modric – 5/10
Not covering himself in glory, Modric's age showed against the lively midfield trio of Liverpool. Hooked late on.
CM – Eduardo Camavinga – 8/10
A top display from the Frenchman in an otherwise lacklustre engine room. Real Madrid's dreadful luck with injuries as their best player, Camavinga, was taken off in the 57th minute.
CM – Jude Bellingham – 6/10
Booed by the home contingent when he picked up the ball, but that wasn't going to affect him, was it? Albeit and tricky in tight spaces in moments, he was outclassed by the likes of Jones.
RW – Arda Guler – 5/10
Despite his lack of game time for Los Blancos this summer, Guler was involved in a lot of the visitor's play, while also often popping up in defensive moments.
ST – Brahim Diaz – 5/10
Largely ineffectual in the first half, the diminutive forward had absolutely no luck against Liverpool's formidable partnership of Van Dijk and Konate.
LW – Kylian Mbappe – 4/10
Mbappe's first half encapsulated his Real Madrid thus far: slow, lethargic and a lack of ideas. Had the chance to take the game by the scruff of the neck from 12 yards out, but his tame effort was saved rather easily.
Sub – Dani Ceballos (57') – 4/10
Carded and was dispossessed way too easily on a couple of occasions.
Sub – Lucas Vazquez (57') – 5/10
A true Real Madrid legend, the veteran won his side a penalty just moments after coming on.
Sub – Fran Garcia (71') – 5/10
Given just 20 minutes to shut up shop after Mendy's struggles against Salah were exemplified. Coped much better with Liverpool's dynamism.
Sub – Endrick (79') – 4/10
Booked and struggled to find rhythm.
Man of the Match
Alexis Mac Allister
alexis mac allister
While Bradley and Jones may feel hard done by, it was the Argentine - who was signed for relative peanuts from Brighton & Hove Albion a couple of summers ago - who broke the all-important deadlock to give his side a foothold on proceedings. Not leaving his defensive duties behind either, a brilliant, well-rounded performance from their midfield maestro is exactly what the doctor ordered against the reigning Champions League holders.
And that's exactly what Mac Allister produced. Quick to sniff out any danger while wreaking havoc of his own, there was very little that Los Blancos could do to contain the high-octane nature of the midfielder's performance. His pure talent was on display, and it was certainly not for the first - or last, for that matter - time.