After more than 15 years, Liverpool finally tasted victory against Real Madrid. From the very start at Anfield, the English side dominated both possession and attack. Although Real Madrid managed to hold them off in the first half, they couldn’t withstand the pressure after the break. With this 2-0 win, Jürgen Klopp’s men maintained their perfect Champions League run this season.
Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring early in the second half, only for Kylian Mbappé to miss a penalty shortly after. Ten minutes later, Mohamed Salah also missed from the spot. Substitute Cody Gakpo sealed the game with Liverpool’s second goal.
The last time Liverpool beat Real Madrid was also at Anfield, during the 2009 Champions League Round of 16, with a dominant 4-0 win. Since then, the two sides faced off eight times, with Real winning seven and drawing once, including two painful final defeats for Liverpool. This victory ends that long drought and marks a turning point for the Reds in their rivalry with the Spanish giants.
Under Klopp’s guidance, Liverpool has been in exceptional form, winning all five of their group stage matches and topping the table with 15 points. In contrast, defending champions Real Madrid have lost three of their five matches, leaving them in 24th place with just six points.
Liverpool’s dominance was reflected in the stats: they held 62% possession, took 17 shots, and hit the target seven times. Real Madrid managed only nine shots, with three on target.
Liverpool nearly took the lead in the fourth minute when Darwin Núñez’s shot deflected off Raúl Asensio and almost went into the net before Asensio cleared it off the line. Thibaut Courtois kept Real in the game, making critical saves against Núñez and others, while Real, missing Vinícius Júnior due to injury, failed to register a shot on target in the first half.
Mac Allister finally broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute with a composed finish after combining with Conor Bradley. Mbappé’s penalty miss in the 59th minute added to Real’s woes as goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher denied his weak attempt. Salah then missed a penalty in the 69th minute, sending his effort wide after being fouled by Ferland Mendy.
In the 76th minute, Gakpo doubled Liverpool’s lead, heading in a Robertson cross to effectively end Real Madrid’s comeback hopes. Both teams had late chances in added time, but Courtois and Kelleher stood firm, keeping the final score at 2-0.
With this victory, Liverpool solidified their place at the top, while Real Madrid faces an uphill battle to recover their Champions League campaign.
