Liverpool’s back four that played against Real Madrid have to be the ones chosen by Arne Slot going forward.
Conor Bradley, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Andy Robertson were all in impeccable form throughout Tuesday’s 1-0 win at Anfield.
The Champions League tie had a lot of pressure weighing on it, especially with the recent form that Arne Slot’s men have been in.
Liverpool FC v Real Madrid C.F. - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
mail iconJoin our newsletter for news & smart analysis.
However, now that Liverpool have won two games in a row with the same back four, it feels like Slot may have accidentally stumbled upon the best way for the Reds to stay defensively solid this term.
Real Madrid only had two shots on target against Liverpool in their Champions League clash
Since the start of the campaign, Liverpool’s defence has caused them some massive issues.
Players such as Konate have been in the worst form of their careers, with Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong failing to live up to the standards expected of them.
However, on Tuesday, the doubters were made to eat their words as Bradley kept Vinicius Jr in his back pocket and Konate kept his fellow countryman, Kylian Mbappe, away from the net.
Van Dijk and Robertson also put in more than solid performances, with both defenders proving that they still have what it takes to compete with the world’s best.
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
Liverpool deserved their Champions League win on Tuesday, with Match of the Day sharing a rather impressive statistic via their X account.
“Real Madrid had two shots on target, their fewest in a Champions League game since their 1-0 win over Liverpool in the 2021-22 final (also 2),” they wrote.
Those two shots came from Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler, with neither really testing Giorgi Mamardashvili too much.
Liverpool’s defence needs to build on the confidence they’ve earned from their last two outings
Slot reverting to a similar team that won the Premier League title last season was arguably the smartest decision he’s made as the Reds’ manager.
It was clear that Liverpool were heading on a downward spiral, with the first-team squad feeling like it had no vision or direction.
However, now that the Dutchman has managed to solve his defensive issues, they need to build upon the confidence they’ve earned and allow the rest of the team to become more expressive and score some goals.
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool celebrates the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid C.F. at Anfield
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Winning games by a single goal is all well and good, but if the Anfield outfit want to prove that they’re really in it to win everything this season, more chances need to be taken and many more goals need to be scored.
And, now that Alexander Isak is set to come back into the Reds’ starting XI by the time they face Manchester City on Sunday, their fortunes could be about to drastically change.