Vinicius Junior (20y 268d) is the second youngest scorer for Real Madrid in a Champions League knockout match, after Raul (18y 253d) in March 1996 against JuventusJurgen Klopp says Liverpool made it “too easy” for Real Madrid to win the quarter-final first leg between the sides, but feels Mohamed Salah’s goal offers his side a lifeline in the return game at Anfield.
The Reds were largely second best throughout an entertaining game against a Real team missing their first-choice centre-back pairing, but packed with impressive attacking talent.
Much of the damage was done in the first half through Vinicius Junior’s low drive after he had chested down a superb long pass from Toni Kroos and a Marco Asensio’s close-range finish following a defensive mistake from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Liverpool came out fighting after the break, pulling a goal back through Salah’s finish off the crossbar to spark their best 20-minute spell of the contest.
But they were stung when Vinicius found the net via a first-time shot following a fine attacking move with 25 minutes to go, leaving them with a mountain to climb in the return leg at an empty Anfield on 14 April.
“If you want to go to the semi-final, you have to earn the right to do so,” Klopp told BT Sport. “We didn’t do that tonight, especially in the first half.
“We just didn’t play good enough football to cause Real Madrid more problems. We made it too easy for them.
“The only good thing I can say, apart from the goal, is it’s only the first half of the tie. We didn’t deserve a lot more but that one goal and the second half was OK. It gives us a lifeline.”
Why another Anfield rescue act looks beyond Liverpool now – Lawrenson analysisBest action and reaction from Tuesday’s Champions League gamesListen to the Football Daily podcastReal Madrid 3-1 Liverpool: ‘We didn’t deserve to win’ – KloppTwo steps back for LiverpoolAt the weekend, Liverpool ripped Arsenal apart, winning 3-0 in a display that some felt represented the turning of a corner for a side that have fallen well short of the standards they set during last season’s stellar title-winning campaign.
If that was one step forward, this was two steps back, with the Reds largely outclassed by a notably superior opponent. They repeatedly gave the ball away under pressure and were – barring a brief rally at the start of the second half – uncharacteristically pedestrian and toothless.
It said much that manager Klopp opted for a substitution just before the break, correcting his decision to start Naby Keita ahead of Thiago.
It could easily have been any of the Reds’ outfield 10 withdrawn, though, with the front three largely passengers, the centre-back pairing of Nat Phillips and Ozan Kabak looking every bit second-string and Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson often found out of position and exposed.
They were, however, aggrieved that a foul was not awarded for a challenge on Sadio Mane before Asensio’s goal – a subject Klopp commented on after the game.
“The situation with Sadio, what the ref did tonight I have to say I don’t understand,” he added. “For me that was something personal because he dealt with the situation with Sadio, which was a clear foul, like he was a diver or whatever.
“From that moment on whenever Sadio went down he didn’t get anything. That is not right. That is what I told him after the game, that I thought he was unfair with Sadio.
“That doesn’t change anything at all. He [the referee] didn’t lose the game. We were not good enough to get a better result, but in these moments you need just an ‘OK’ ref. That would have been enough.”
It is to the credit of Klopp and his players they were able to rectify some of their problems and get themselves back into the tie through Salah’s neat finish.
They were unable to build on it, though, with Salah and Diogo Jota spurning chances to restore parity.
Real’s third goal killed their momentum and turned the match into one Real could manage.
During their run to win the Champions League in 2019, Liverpool came back from a 3-0 away leg loss to beat Barcelona on aggregate via a stunning semi-final second leg full of ferocity and attacking brilliance.
They will need to do produce similar if they are to beat Barca’s fierce rivals in eight days time.
The Real dealReal have not had consistently stellar campaign themselves, but they are now threatening to produce something special when it matters once again.
They made a habit of coming to life at the business end of a campaign during Zidane’s first spell as manager, especially in the Champions League, which they won three times in a row between 2016 and 2018.
In a seven-day stretch that could be season-defining, with a home La Liga game against fellow title-chasers Barcelona between the two legs of this tie, Real turned on the style for part one, with Vinicius the headline act.
It should come as no surprise. This is a side that have not lost since January and, in Zidane, have a canny boss capable of picking Liverpool’s weak spots out wide and steering his players to ruthlessly exploit them.
Much of the pre-game noise surrounded the absence of their first-choice centre-back pairing – the talismanic Sergio Ramos (who has a calf injury) and Rafael Varane (who recently tested positive for Covid).
However, unlike their opponents, with Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez high-profile absentees, Real comfortably overcame their defensive issues, with replacements Nacho Fernandez and Eder Militao excellent, especially during the spell of intense Liverpool pressure.
Salah’s goal keeps the tie alive, but it is very much Real’s to lose.
Real with superb record after winning first legReal have progressed from 15 of their last 16 Champions League knockout matches after winning the opening leg, only failing to do so against Ajax in the 2018-19 last 16.Only teams from Spain (14) have progressed from more Champions League knockout ties after losing the first leg than sides from England (12), with Liverpool the most recent English club to do so, against Barcelona in the 2018-19 semi-finals.In all European competitions, no side has beaten Liverpool more often than Real (4, level with Benfica), with the Reds suffering defeat in each of the last four encounters with Los Blancos.Salah has now scored 27 goals this season, four more than he managed last season, while equalling his tally from 2018-19 – only in 2017-18 (44) did he score more for Liverpool in a single campaign.Benzema has now appeared in 108 Champions League matches for Real – the outright most by a non-Spaniard, with only Ramos (128), Raul (130) and Iker Casillas (150) playing more for the club in the competition. Only Kylian Mbappe in April 2017 (18y 113d v Borussia Dortmund) has scored a Champions League brace at the quarter-final stage (or later) at a younger age than Real Madrid’s Vinicius (20y 268d).Asensio has scored in four straight matches for Real in all competitions, managing as many goals over this period as he did across his previous 41 matches (4).Real boss Zidane took charge of his 50th game in the Champions League, with this his 31st victory in the competition. Indeed, only Jupp Heynckes (32) won more of his first 50 managerial games in the competition than the Frenchman.Line-upsReal MadridFormation 4-3-3
1Courtois
17Vázquez3Militão6Nacho23Mendy
10Modric14Casemiro8Kroos
11Asensio9Benzema20Vinícius Júnior
1Courtois17VázquezBooked at 49mins3Militão6Nacho23Mendy10Modric14Casemiro8Kroos11AsensioSubstituted forValverdeat 70’minutes9Benzema20Vinícius JúniorSubstituted forRodrygoat 85’minutesSubstitutes12Marcelo13Lunin15Valverde19Odriozola22Isco24Mariano25Rodrygo26Altube30Arribas32ChustLiverpoolFormation 4-3-3
1Alisson
66Alexander-Arnold47Phillips19Kabak26Robertson
8Keita3Fabinho5Wijnaldum
11Salah20Jota10Mané
1Alisson66Alexander-ArnoldBooked at 83mins47Phillips19KabakSubstituted forFirminoat 81’minutes26Robertson8KeitaSubstituted forThiago Alcántaraat 42’minutesBooked at 56mins3Fabinho5Wijnaldum11Salah20JotaSubstituted forShaqiriat 81’minutes10ManéBooked at 39minsSubstitutes6Thiago Alcántara7Milner9Firmino13Adrián15Oxlade-Chamberlain17Jones21Tsimikas23Shaqiri28Davies46R Williams53Davies64CainLive TextMatch ends, Real Madrid 3, Liverpool 1.
Second Half ends, Real Madrid 3, Liverpool 1.
Attempt blocked. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Thiago.
Foul by Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool).
Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Federico Valverde.
Attempt blocked. Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Roberto Firmino.
Foul by Sadio Mané (Liverpool).
Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Real Madrid. Rodrygo replaces Vinícius Júnior.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool).
Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Liverpool. Xherdan Shaqiri replaces Diogo Jota.
Substitution, Liverpool. Roberto Firmino replaces Ozan Kabak.
Attempt missed. Thiago (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Mohamed Salah.
Offside, Real Madrid. Casemiro tries a through ball, but Karim Benzema is caught offside.
Foul by Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool).
Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Thiago (Liverpool).
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