Image: PAUL ELLIS (AFP)
Real Madrid outclassed Liverpool in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League. The defending champion was 0: 2 behind on Tuesday at Anfield Road in the new edition of the 2022 final after a quarter of an hour and goals from Darwin Nunez (4th) and Mohamed Salah (14th), but still won 5: 2 (2: 2) . Vinicius Junior (21st, 36th), Eder Militao (47th) and Karim Benzema (55th, 67th) also made a spectacle with a brace. David Alaba had to leave the field injured at Real.
Reds fans got the guests in the mood for the game with fireworks on the night of the match day. Real wanted to respond on the field, but caught the 0-1 after less than four minutes. Salah found Nunez with a well-timed pass, and the Uruguayan, who had just started offside, completed a wonderful heel. Thibaut Courtois in the Real goal just looked after the ball.
Alaba substituted after 26 minutes
Alaba faced Salah as a left-back. At 0:2 the Viennese were not to blame. Courtois tried to process a back pass from Dani Carvajal, but kneed for the Egyptian. He maneuvered the leather into the empty goal. Real’s false start was perfect, Liverpool saw their rising form in the Premier League confirmed. The defending champion only faltered briefly and found his way back into the game through Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian made room and defeated his national team colleague Alisson with a well-placed shot into the far corner.
The exchange of blows continued. Salah and Nunez were close to 3-1 in a tumult in the Madrid penalty area. Alaba, who has been fighting for his fitness since the beginning of the year, injured himself in the action and had to leave the field after 26 minutes. According to the first information, it should be a wound in the rear right thigh.
As a spectator, Alaba saw Vinicius Jr. accept another goalie gift. Alisson shot the striker in the foot as he tried to clear it, and the ball bounced into the goal from there. The score was 1:1 for major goalie mistakes. Neither team wanted to slow down. Counterattacks were launched with full vigour. In stoppage time in the first 45 minutes, Liverpool’s Andy Robertson saved with a toe from Rodrygo, who was ready to score.
Real, who played their 15th competitive game in Liverpool in 2023, finally proved their comeback skills after a change of sides thanks to great efficiency. Eder Militao stole away from a Modric free-kick and headed in completely alone. Benzema made the Real fans who had traveled with him happy: his shot on goal was deflected decisively by Joe Gomez. The French didn’t have enough and followed up with a lot of overview. Liverpool conceded their sixth defeat against Real in the past seven meetings. According to the data provider Opta, the traditional club had never conceded four goals in a European Cup home game.
Source: Nachrichten
