Arne Slot has revealed the advice he gave his players to deal with Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, after Conor Bradley excelled in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Real Madrid.
The Reds roared back to form on Tuesday night, sealing back-to-back victories, with almost every player performing well.
Bradley was arguably the pick of the bunch, though, comprehensively getting the better of a world-class winger in Vinicius.
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Speaking to Amazon Prime after the game, Slot outlined the tactics he wanted from his team, in order to deal with the Brazilian and Mbappe.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 04: Conor Bradley of Liverpool battles for possession with Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid 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 Justin Setterfield - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
“I said the only thing I didn’t want was a mid-block because these two up front have deep runs, unbelievable timing and incredible pace,” Slot said.
“So we either press them really high or have a low block, and never give the space away.
“And in the few moments you do, take away that space because 24 goal contributions from 26 games tells you everything about these two.”
Much-needed return to form for Bradley
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, November 1, 2025: Liverpool's Conor Bradley during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Aston Villa FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
After a fairly slow start to the season, Bradley was exceptional at Anfield, with Trent Alexander-Arnold watching on from the dugout.
Much like Madrid at Anfield last year, the Northern Irishman rose to the challenge against high-profile opponents, and was faultless in thwarting Vinicius.
He won 100 per cent of his tackles up against the Brazilian, and won eight duels, with Slot heaping further praise on him in his press conference.
“Conor was outstanding,” he added.
“It was very nice. Last season he was outstanding against Real Madrid but he had to go off after 80 minutes because of an injury.
“Now, three days after he played 90 minutes against Villa, he again played 90 minutes with incredible intensity against Vinicius.”
It is easy to forget that Bradley is still only 22, so expecting him to be consistently excellent at this point in his career is asking a lot.
Filling the void left by Alexander-Arnold was also never going to be easy, especially with Jeremy Frimpong providing competition, but this was a hugely encouraging performance.
Another big test awaits for Bradley away to Man City on Sunday, with Jeremy Doku a tricky customer, but the manner in which he handled Vinicius should give him plenty of belief.