Real Madrid produced a stunning second-half comeback to defeat Liverpool 5-2 in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Vinicius Junior scored twice before the break to cancel out Liverpool’s early two-goal advantage, and three unanswered goals in the second half two from Karim Benzema condemned Jurgen Klopp’s side to their heaviest home defeat in Champions League history.
During a blistering opening period, the Reds had threatened to overwhelm the Spanish champions, their conquerors, in the Champions League final in May. Darwin Nunez’s flick put them in front inside four minutes before Mohamed Salah seized on a Thibaut Courtois error to double the lead. However, with Real Madrid rocking, they instead showed that characteristic quality and calm. Vinicius rifled the ball low into the far corner of Alisson’s net to pull one back before the goalkeeper replicated the mistake by Courtois by gifting the Brazilian his second of the night.
Eder Militao’s header from Luka Modric’s free-kick gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side the lead early in the second half before Benzema’s shot deflected off Joe Gomez and beyond Alisson to silence Anfield.
The result was a massive blow to the Reds, who had briefly looked like they could run away with the tie in the opening stages. Klopp will now have to regroup his troops and attempt to engineer a miraculous comeback in Madrid next month as the Reds look to avoid another Champions League exit at the hands of the Spanish giants.
For Real Madrid, it was a victory of great character and resilience. After a difficult start to the season, the 13-time European champions are finding their best form at the right time, and if they can produce a similar performance in the second leg, they could be on their way to the quarter-finals. For Liverpool, it was an evening of disappointment and frustration. But with three Premier League wins on the bounce, the Reds are still in a good position domestically and will now have to channel those frustrations into the return leg in Madrid.
The Champions League tie is still wide open, and Liverpool will have to produce a performance of excellent quality and intensity if they can progress. It will be a considerable challenge, but Klopp and his players will be more than capable of rising to it.