Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold (Image: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The player around whom the night was expected to revolve remained on the sidelines. And sat watching from the bench at Anfield on Wednesday, Trent Alexander-Arnold was given a glimpse of what the future could have in store.
At the fulcrum of a vibrant Liverpool performance was Conor Bradley, the 21-year-old deputising for Alexander-Arnold who was unable to start given the lingering effects of his recent hamstring injury.
And the beaten opposition were, of course, Real Madrid, the club most strongly linked with a potential move for the England international given his ongoing contract impasse.
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With talks over a new deal having not yet reached a resolution, the 26-year-old will be able to negotiate with interested parties from abroad in barely a month regards the prospect of a free transfer at the end of the season when his present agreement expires.
In fairness, with a host of players missing - including forwards Vinicius Jnr and Rodrygo - it wasn't an accurate representation of the real strength of the Spaniards, even if Liverpool themselves were without a number of key members besides the benched Alexander-Arnold.
But the greater eye-opener for the Reds man would surely have been what came afterwards. Or, more specifically, what then happened in the Spanish media.
To say no holds were barred among the press would be an understatement, particularly when referring to the underwhelming performance of Kylian Mbappe, a high-profile free transfer arrival from a leading European rival who has struggled to hit the ground running since signing up at the Bernabeu from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
One commentator suggested Mbappe "did nothing" and "did not give a damn". Another said the France international "was a downright useless element", while elsewhere it was noted the forward's "entry to hell had a one-way ticket". And there was more of the same on Friday morning, too. You get the picture.
“Marca have 10 pages on Real Madrid every day," says Steve McManaman, the homegrown Liverpool talent who left for Real Madrid on a free transfer back in 1999. "AS have 10 pages on Real Madrid every day. If your form dips, they can be brutal.
“You need to be driven, you need to work hard and you need to try to learn the language. Of course, it’s a lot easier these days with interpreters, and the majority of people in Spain speak English – certainly in Madrid, which helps. But you still need to learn Spanish, and you need to have a big pair of shoulders."
Alexander-Arnold already knows all about having to cope with the critical eye ever since breaking into the Liverpool first team more than eight years ago. So unique is his skillset that, for some, his is a talent that simply cannot be properly understood, making him arguably the most scrutinised English player of his generation.
It reached a nadir during the 2022/23 season when, with Liverpool struggling from the hangover of their failed quadruple attempt the previous campaign, Alexander-Arnold saw his defending discussed, dismantled and derided on an almost weekly basis on television.
Such constant criticism didn't pass unnoticed. "I think that perception was perhaps harsh, if I am honest," said Alexander-Arnold earlier this season. "It was a big perception and it was hard to kind of shrug off with just one good defensive game."
Of course, a strong mentality is a pre-requisite for any leading footballer. As early as Academy level, players are taught what to expect stepping into the constant public glare and how best to deal with the inevitable pitfalls.
Nothing, though, is quite as savage as the Spanish media. And the reaction to the pain a Trent-less Liverpool inflicted on Real Madrid this week will have given Alexander-Arnold food for thought as he continues to ponder the next move in his career.