The Paul Gorst verdict on a night to remember at Anfield as Liverpool beat Real Madrid 1-0 in the Champions League
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 4: Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool celebrates after scoring his team's first goal with teammates during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid C.F. at Anfield on November 4, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)
Alexis Mac Allister celebrates with his Liverpool team-mates after his proved to be the only goal of the game against Real Madrid
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The cold, soulless facts will say Liverpool are now up to sixth in the group stage of the Champions League after this 1-0 win over Real Madrid. The reality, however, is that another triumph over the 15-time champions of Europe at Anfield might just have finally given lift-off to a new era under Arne Slot.
The first two-and-a-half months of this campaign have not gone exactly to the plan. After a historic summer transfer window where close to £450m was forked out and around half of that was recouped, the glossy brochure that had Slot's Premier League champions as the all-conquering unbeatables has not quite looked like that in reality.
It's been tough and even when games have been won, late goals have been needed too often and games have not been controlled in the manner that became so routine last year en route to league title No.20.
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Six defeats in seven prior to Saturday's much-needed 2-0 win over Aston Villa was indicative of a team struggling to find their groove amid the unusually high volume of turnover in the playing staff.
But having taking an encouraging step towards the light at the end of the tunnel against Villa, the Reds took a quantum leap here as los Blancos were dispatched from Merseyside with nothing to show for their efforts for a second Champions League season running.
The rule that forbids the same fixture being played three seasons running will be a welcome and much-needed reprieve for Madrid, one suspects. They won't want to return to Anfield in a hurry, that much is certain.
But it was not the fact that Alexis Mac Allister's header was the difference between the teams here. The aspect that will have Liverpool bouncing into Sunday's trip to Manchester City was just how much their performance merited the victory.
Xabi Alonso is an Anfield legend for his exploits as a player but he is still a relatively young coach and he was outfoxed on the night by Slot, who got his team selection absolutely spot on.
The decision to bring in Florian Wirtz for Cody Gakpo was inspired. The Germany international was perpetual motion, running over 11 kilometres to keep Madrid at bay while also supplying a number of dangerous passes, one in particular that should have been gobbled up by Dominik Szoboszlai, who was otherwise faultless once more.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 04: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Florian Wirtz of Liverpool and Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid react during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid C.F. at Anfield on November 04, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool and Jude Bellingham during the Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at Anfield
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Hungary captain Szoboszlai is in sensational form right now but this was an enormous evening in the fledgling Reds career of Florian Wirtz also. He has been signed with a view to winning the Champions League and the different style of football in this competition plays to his strengths, he was excellent.
An absorbing first period of high-grade football came and went in a blink with Liverpool having the lion's share of the chances. Thibaut Courtois, the scourge of the 2022 final, denied Szoboszlai a couple of times before Mac Allister was also kept at bay on the cusp of half time.
The biggest flashpoint was reserved for a monitor check when Aurelien Tchouameni was judged to have handled a shot outside the area. Initially referee Istvan Kovacs awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box before being asked to look at the screen.
Rather than award a spot-kick, however, Kovacs went the other way and decided his initial call of handball was in fact incorrect, awarding a drop-ball instead.
The Reds were scorned by the controversial call and used it in a positive manner, ending the half the stronger of the two, full of energy and determination to make the breakthrough. Giorgi Mamardashvili was a virtual spectator save for one important stop to keep out Jude Bellingham, who had wriggled free of Ibrahima Konate.
The giant Belgian goalkeeper picked up where he left off in the first half, saving from Virgil van Dijk and Hugo Ekitike early in the second but there was nothing the former Chelsea man could do to thwart Mac Allister, who gave Szoboszlai's sumptuous delivery the header it deserved to finally open the scoring shortly after the hour mark.
Gakpo could have made the result safe late on but once more Courtois proved to be a barrier and the fact that the 33-year-old goalkeeper was Madrid’s best player on a night when Kylian Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius Junior all started was proof of how well Slot’s men played.
Conor Bradley surely enjoyed his best game for the club. He handled the world-class Vinicius with confidence, ensuring the Brazil international was unable to get into areas to hurt the Reds.
Having been challenged by Slot to stay fit to unlock his obvious potential in the pre-match press conference, the Northern Ireland international must go to the well once more when Manchester City host on Sunday.
Before then, Slot and his players must decompress and make sure their recovery and preparatory work are pristine before the short trip to the Etihad. This week might just stabilise a campaign that looked on the rocks less than a fortnight ago.
Liverpool are up to sixth in the Champions League table. But the real value of this win is much more exciting.