At the same time, his charges flew at the opponent like a hurricane immediately after the opening whistle and soon opened the scoring thanks to Darwin Núñez’s spectacular (and at the same time effective) foot. This was followed by Mohamed Salah, who punished the hesitation of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. It was also the Egyptian’s 42nd goal for Liverpool in European Cups, putting him at the top of the all-time charts. “The start was fantastic, perfect. We played exactly the way we wanted,” Klopp recalled moments full of optimism and belief in a good result for the return leg.
The drunken fans at Anfield Road, however, received two really hard directs from the boots of Brazilian star Vinícius Júnior before the break. He first reduced it with a demonstration attack on the back post and then received a gift from the goalkeeper Alisson. Liverpool’s number one shot his compatriot while trying for a constructive play-off, from whose foot the ball rebounded with a perfect lob directly into the sanctuary of the Reds. “We made too many mistakes and were punished,” lamented captain Jordan Henderson.
After the break, the White Ballet concert got into full swing. The turnaround to 3:2 was first completed by the stopper Éder Militao, whose shot was followed by a two-goal contribution by the reigning Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema. His first goals in this season’s Champions League literally couldn’t have come at a better time, a devastated Liverpool could no longer react and Real will go to the rematch at the Santiago Bernabéu on March 15 with a comfortable lead. “We didn’t start the game well, but we showed that we are ready. We want to win the title again,” said the captain of the Madrid team confidently.
In addition, he and his teammates wrote in black letters in the chronicle of Liverpool football. Until yesterday, it was true that the Reds had never conceded more than three goals in European cups at Anfield. And to fend off an “outrage” after you have a two-goal lead at home in the 15th minute is a serious blow to the psyche. “Liverpool were completely clueless at the back,” international Alan Shearer did not take napkins with the English team’s defense. “Five goals conceded shows how they are at the moment,” said former Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana.
The experienced team of Real, led by seasoned strategist Carlo Ancelotti, is well aware that they are far from being won. Three years ago, Barcelona went into the rematch of the semi-final against Liverpool with a three-goal advantage, and the Reds finally rejoiced after an unprecedented collapse. “The doubleheader is still not decided at all,” Ancelotti says. “Although we managed the first part, it is clear to us that we will have to work really hard in the second.”
