Liverpool 2-5 Real Madrid (Nunez 4′, Salah 14′ | Vinicius Jr 21′, 36′, Militao 47′, Benzema 55′, 67′)
Liverpool have a lot of work to do to reach the Champions League quarter-final after slumping to a heavy 5-2 defeat against perennial bogey team Real Madrid in front of a shellshocked Anfield in their last 16 first leg.
Liverpool raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 15 minutes with Darwin Nunez expertly flicking in the opener and Mo Salah capitalising on a poor Thibaut Courtois error for the second.
However, Real Madrid recovered from a torrid start with Vinicius Jr lashing an unstoppable effort into the bottom corner before benefiting from a goalkeeper error by Alisson to equalise.
The visitors then flipped the game on its head in the second period, taking the lead through Eder Militao’s thunderous and extending their advantage with a deflected Karim Benzema strike. The Frenchman then made it five after tiptoeing around Alisson and firing into an empty net after a turnover in midfield.
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Liverpool player ratings
Alisson Becker – Made a calamitous error for Real’s equaliser, passing the ball straight at Vinicius Jr with the ball rebounding over his head in what proved to be the turning point of the match. Could do little to prevent the other goals but looked shaky from that point onwards. A rare off day from Liverpool’s player of the season. 3
WHAT A FIRST HALF THIS HAS BEEN
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 21, 2023
It's Alisson who has now made the mistake for Vinícius Júnior to pounce! #UCL pic.twitter.com/4H1tnBKy2z
Trent Alexander-Arnold – Drew a decent save from Courtois from a free-kick on the strike of half-time but didn’t get enough pace on the effort. Whipped in a couple of dangerous deliveries into the box but didn’t get tight enough to Vinicius and too often caught out of position defensively. 5
Joe Gomez – Played a part in Real’s second goal by playing an awkward bobbly backpass to Alisson and conceded a clumsy, needless foul on Vinicius which led to Real’s third straight after half-time. A miserable night was compounded when he deflected Benzema’s weak shot into his own net. Went straight down the tunnel after being taken off and appeared to be clutching his hamstring. A nightmarish night all round. 2
Virgil van Dijk – Not as obviously off the pace as his central defensive partner but still part of a defensive unit that shipped five goals at home for the first time since 2019. Nutmegged by Vinicius for the fifth goal scored by Benzema but perhaps warrants a touch more slack than his team-mates after only recently returning from injury. 4
Andy Robertson – Made a vital last-ditch sliding tackle to deny Rodrygo a tap-in and Real Madrid a third first-half goal, not that it ended up mattering much. A willing runner in the attacking third but unable to make a decisive impact. 5
Jordan Henderson – Started the game with great intensity, offering an outlet on the right wing, but faded badly as Liverpool crumbled. Ineffective on the ball and not able to press as effectively as he once could off it. Looked dejected as he made way for James Milner. 4
Fabinho – Fortunate to not earn an early yellow for a cynical check on Vinicius and ceded possession far too easily to Luka Modric as Real streamed forward to score their fifth. Has suffered an almighty drop-off this season and may struggle to survive Klopp’s midfield summer cull. 4
Stefan Bajcetic – Became the youngest player to start a Champions League tie for Liverpool at 18 years and 122 days and made a confident start, before losing the ball in the build-up Vinicius’ second goal. A tough night for the teenager but an invaluable learning experience up against the ageless master Modric nonetheless. Applauded off the pitch by a supportive home crowd. 5
Mo Salah – Assisted Nunez’s opener with a clever, incisive pass behind the Real defence and took his goal confidently after being presented with a chance by Courtois. The only big-name player to rise to the challenge; he must have wondered what on earth was happening around him. 7
Darwin Nunez – Opened the scoring with a sublime flick to raise the Anfield roof and almost bundled in a second on the floor after Salah had a couple of attempts at it. Worked tirelessly as usual but was substituted just past the hour mark after being doubtful to play due to a shoulder injury sustained at the weekend 6
LIVERPOOL HAVE LIFT-OFF!
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 21, 2023
That is just cheeky from Darwin Núñez!#UCL pic.twitter.com/spapaQcfbZ
Cody Gakpo – Looked a touch overawed by the occasion. Slipped when well-positioned inside the box in the opening minute and guilty of too many heavy touches. Substituted on 63 minutes. 5
Subs:
Diogo Jota – Didn’t make an impact but will be grateful to get more minutes into his legs. 5
Roberto Firmino – Almost made an instant impact with a header that was well-held by Courtois. 6
Joel Matip – Replace the hapless Gomez. Booked for a foul on Ceballos. 6
James Milner – Replaced Henderson. 5
Harvey Elliott – Late sub. N/A
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