Florian Wirtz started for Liverpool in the 1-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid on Tuesday night and was reunited with former manager Xabi Alonso in the tunnel after the game.
Florian Wirtz during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid C.F. at Anfield.
Florian Wirtz helped Liverpool claim a win over his old boss and Reds icon Xabi Alonso
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Liverpool summer signing Florian Wirtz was reunited with former manager Xabi Alonso in the tunnel following the Reds’ Champions League victory over Real Madrid, as the pair were spotted sharing a tender moment.
Alonso was not the only former Red returning, with Trent Alexander-Arnold receiving a hostile reception on his first game back at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Liverpool were looking to build momentum following last weekend’s 2-0 Premier League win over Aston Villa. They were successful in doing so with Alexis Mac Allister’s 61st-minute goal the difference between the two sides, with Arne Slot's men showing positive signs after a hugely difficult period.
The win moves Liverpool up to sixth in the league standings in the Champions League, having won three and lost one of their opening four games. It’s also the second time in two years that the side has overcome Real Madrid in the competition.
The game on Tuesday saw a few reunions. One of those was summer arrivals Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong coming up against Alonso, who was their manager during a successful time with Bayer Leverkusen.
Both Liverpool stars enjoyed the best spells of their careers under the Spaniard, winning the Bundesliga title in 2023-24, briefly ending Bayern Munich's dominance in Germany.
A clip in the tunnel, captured by Spanish outlet El Desmarque after the game, shows an interaction between all three, who clearly still share a close bond. Alonso approaches both and gives Wirtz a warm embrace; he keeps his arm around his shoulder while talking to both him and Frimpong.
The trio stay chatting for a while before Wirtz appears to give Alonso a Liverpool shirt. The interaction reveals the strong connection that the now-Liverpool man has with his former manager, who happily gave his time to catching up with his former stars despite his side's disappointing result.
It comes amid reports that Alonso was keen on a reunion with Wirtz at Real Madrid this summer. The Reds, however, won the transfer race, completing the £116 million move.
Since that move, Wirtz has struggled to make a significant impact so far this season and has been dropped to the bench on occasion. He was, however, back in the starting lineup against Real Madrid, playing 88 minutes of the game.
That wasn’t the only reunion of the night, with one of the big talking points of the game coming from Alexander-Arnold’s return to Anfield following his summer move to Real Madrid.
The full-back returned from injury to come on for the final nine minutes of the game. He was booed onto the pitch when he was substituted on, and couldn’t help his new team peg Liverpool back, with the Reds taking a big three points.
Slot's side face another tricky test next, with a trip to Manchester City on Sunday as they look to close the gap back on leaders Arsenal before the international break.
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