LIVERPOOL 1-0 REAL MADRID: Alexis Mac Allister's header made it back-to-back victories for Liverpool for the first time in September, suggesting that their crisis is over
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)
Liverpool are back on track(Image: Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)
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For an hour, it was a familiar tale of one particular man holding back a red tide, of one goalkeeper revelling in this classic fixture. But even in the sort of form that thwarted Liverpool in the Champions League final of 2022, Thibaut Courtois could not deny an irresistible Liverpool.
Crisis? What crisis? The victory margin was narrow but the performance was mighty. A clean sheet and win over Aston Villa, and a clean sheet and a win over Real Madrid means we can call an end to the hysteria about Arne Slot’s slump.
And this was also proof that Liverpool can be as effective without Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was booed when he came on as a late substitute. Inevitably, the whole Trent thing took on a distinctly pantomime feel - in fact, it was mildly amusing.
Hearing the jeers cannot have been nice for him but it could have been worse - he could have been playing right-back for Liverpool and having his head spun and blood twisted by Vinicius Junior. But to his immense credit, Conor Bradley, pointedly lauded at every opportunity by the Kop, stuck to his task fantastically well.
Still, the sight of Vinicius in full flight, with Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham giving him enticing options, was something to behold. Which made it all remarkable that the first booking of the contest went the way of Vinicius for a track-back foul on Bradley.
It was a half-hearted piece of defensive work from Vinicius Junior, and that was typical of a distinctly lackadaisical Real Madrid approach that should have seen Slot’s side take comfortable control. Unsurprisingly, given he has previous against them, it was Courtois who stopped Liverpool doing just that, his effort to deny Dominik Szoboszlai a sensational example of why he remains one the best 'keepers in the world.
Courtois was spared the task of trying to save a Mohamed Salah penalty (or free-kick) when VAR got involved with a slightly farcical handball situation on the edge of the area but the Belgian was soon at full stretch again to annoy Szoboszlai once again. In contrast, Giorgi Mamardashvili’s first serious engagement did not materialise until the stroke of half-time when he kept out a smart Bellingham effort with his ankle.
That Liverpool had no material reward for their first half superiority was down to one man and the Courtois show duly resumed after the interval with point-blank saves from Virgil van Dijk and Hugo Ekitike headers. The Real keeper’s exertions were symptomatic of Liverpool’s dominance over an opponent who offered surprisingly little.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 04: Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid makes a save from Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool 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 Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Thibaut Courtois threatened to deny Liverpool once again
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Xabi Alonso’s team were oddly pedestrian, which is pretty unforgivable given the pace in their ranks. Bellingham was one of the few who showed a modicum of urgency but when he was caught on his heels - prompting him to foul Ryan Gravenberch - it proved costly.
The free-kick was swung in by the outstanding Szoboszlai and Real’s abysmal defending of set-pieces was finally taken advantage of, courtesy of an Alexis Mac Allister header.
And even though Real Madrid - after Alexander-Arnold had come on - enjoyed brief periods of late pressure, they never looked like forcing an equaliser and the Kop were able to enjoy a memorable performance... and let Alexander-Arnold know exactly what they still think about his defection.
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