Liverpool made a big statement against Real Madrid in the Champions League with their 2-0 win.
There were a few concerns over how Arne Slot’s first season would be at Anfield after he was tasked with the huge responsibility of filling Jurgen Klopp’s shoes.
After three months, it’s safe to say that the Dutchman has taken the Reds to a whole new level. They are on top of the table in both, the Premier League and the Champions League, and could go all the way in either competition.
A number of Liverpool players played well against Real Madrid on Wednesday night, but Conor Bradley was the one who impressed us the most.
Thierry Henry praises Conor Bradley after Liverpool beat Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe is one of the best players in the world.
The Frenchman has achieved incredible things over the years. From winning multiple Ligue 1 titles to lifting the World Cup, he has done a lot.
Real Madrid paid him a lot of money to join them in the summer, but his start to life as a Galactico has not been as incredible as many expected it to be, especially in the Champions League.
Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid Games played Goals Assists
La Liga 12 7 1
Champions League 5 1 1
Kylian Mbappe’s stats in 2024/25 (correct as of 28/11/2024)
On Wednesday night, Mbappe had the chance to make a statement against one of the best teams in the world, but he had a disappointing game.
The attacker missed a penalty and made several mistakes, but what’s most pleasing for Liverpool fans is that he couldn’t do anything against young Bradley.
Thierry Henry, who embarrassed several defenders in his day, was really impressed with the Liverpool defender and heaped praise on him after the game.
He said on CBS Sports: “Conor Bradley was just outstanding. I think he didn’t have to do a lot defensively because Mbappe didn’t do a lot offensively. So, it became very easy.
“But, the positions he takes right now and what he can do and how he understands when he needs to make that run… The assist was not a Trent assist, in all fairness, but still, he is where he is supposed to be.
“That (the tackle on Mbappe), for me, already did set the tone. Boom! That’s it. You all know, you guys were centre-back, right-back, whatever, when you go into someone like that beginning of the game, you’re going to struggle.
“We see him making that run, every time he fancied it. You could see, he fancied himself against Mbappe. Everything he did was spot on.
“Hopefully, for you Jamie (Carragher), that is not going to be a problem, that hamstring (injury) at the very end. We were waiting for Salah, we were waiting for Mbappe, but we saw Conor Bradley, so fair play to him.”
READ MORE: Liverpool fans all make the same point about Trent Alexander-Arnold after watching Conor Bradley vs Real Madrid
Conor Bradley’s stats vs Real Madrid are so impressive
Bradley was one of Liverpool’s best players against Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
It’s never easy to fill Trent Alexander-Arnold’s boots, but the way the 21-year-old performed against a player of Mbappe’s quality was just exceptional.
In his 87 minutes on the pitch, Bradley had 70 touches of the ball and completed 40 of his 47 attempted passes, maintaining a healthy 84 per cent passing accuracy.
He made four tackles and a clearance and also won eight of his 12 attempted duels, which is very impressive. To add to that, he provided the assist for Alexis Mac Allister’s opener that helped win the game. (Sofascore)
It was a fantastic performance by Bradley, and Liverpool fans should be really excited to see how much more he can develop in the coming years.
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