On Wednesday night, Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 in the Champions League clash at Anfield to exorcise their biggest devil. The Reds suffered seven defeats and one draw under the successful Jurgen Klopp era against the Spanish giants.
Those defeats left a big scar on the Merseyside club, particularly due to the nature of the 2018 Champions League final loss. Liverpool lost two Champions League finals against Real under the reign of Klopp who secured every major trophy regardless.
The Reds dominated the start of the 2018 Champions League final until Real legend Sergio Ramos intentionally hurt Mohamed Salah. The Spanish defender used an armbar takedown on the Egyptian, usually seen in mixed martial arts or combat sports competitions.
The heatmap of both Liverpool and Real Madrid shows how the Reds dominated their bitter European rivals, keeping them away from their box. (Credit: Whoscored)
The heatmap of both Liverpool and Real Madrid shows how the Reds dominated their bitter European rivals, keeping them away from their box. (Credit: Whoscored)
Ramos typically survived any disciplinary action to make things worse as Liverpool lost that game 3-1 after Loris Karius’ mistakes. Madrid’s narrative as the victor conveniently ignores the fact that Karius suffered a concussion during the game.
After all, the victor writes history, leaving everything that happened buried in the final result. Nevertheless, Liverpool fans remember everything and they remember that the Reds dominated Madrid until Salah’s hitjob from Ramos.
Irrespective of that, Liverpool moved on and in the 2022 Champions League final they faced Madrid once again. Thibaut Courtois stopped every Liverpool shot, and the bogey team struck again, dominating the scoreboard with a 1-0 victory despite Liverpool controlling much of the play.
What does this victory mean for the Reds?
When Liverpool faced Real on Wednesday, the talk of revenge and comeuppance was mild as the priorities have shifted. The Reds have faced some strong opponents in fixture congestion since the October international break, winning most games.
“They’ve been a pain in the ar** for Liverpool many times too.”
Arne Slot is delighted with the Reds breaking their Real Madrid curse
@laura_woodsy | @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/2w8AvJudoB
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024
Nevertheless, this game against Real comes right before the Premier League clash with Manchester City with a potential result impacting the title race. Liverpool needed the victory to maintain their momentum and more than that, they needed to make a statement.
The Reds have not played their best under the new head coach Arne Slot yet, but have secured consistent victory. Winning the games without reaching the final gear is what differentiates a top side from a title-winning championship team.
Klopp departed the club after an emotional 2023-24 season, leaving a formidable squad for Slot after a midfield revamp. Instead of making drastic changes, Slot has added more tactical tools for the Reds to enhance their performance this season.
Liverpool stay of the Champions League and Premier League pic.twitter.com/bZnW3xAjYP
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024
Liverpool have won 17 games from 19 matches which includes this remarkable victory against their bitter European rivals. They are at the top of the Premier League and the Champions League table, already qualified for the latter’s round of 16.
Not just a win but an utter domination
No matter how beautiful the win is, the statement that the Reds made is even better. Liverpool dominated Real with 63% possession, beating their bitter rivals as a team and in individual battles.
Real fans have acquired a superiority complex whenever they boast their record against Liverpool on social media. However, everything changed last night with the show of dominance from the Reds while they prayed for some individual brilliance.
In the end, it doesn’t matter what kind of players you are capable of poaching or what dark arts and politics you use, football is a team game and Anfield is where the arrogance of the best dies if they are not respectful.
According to Sofascore, apart from dominating with 63% possession, the Reds enjoyed six big chances compared to Real’s two. Furthermore, they had 17 shots on target compared to the visitor’s eight shots that lacked any conviction or threat.
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Liverpool won 53% of the duels against Real’s 47% and won 61% of tackles compared to the visitor’s 58%. The Reds will face Man City after exorcising their biggest bogey team in recent times. Nevertheless, the season is still very long and Liverpool cannot let complacency hurt them as it did last season.