Liverpool records a well-deserved victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League

The more than 60,000 Liverpool supporters at Anfield already watched the clash with Real Madrid with more confidence thanks to their club’s strong performance against Aston Villa (2-1 win). And they were not disappointed, because the home team delivered professional work under the greatest resistance. Bee The Royal all the guns were on the field.

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With the high pace, the quick switching with top players such as Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior in the front line and the exasperated Jude Bellingham, who wanted to show in his own country why he plays for Real and should have a starting place in the England team, Virgil van Dijk and his colleagues had to be constantly alert.

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But Liverpool had the record holder for Champions League titles (fifteen!) under control and grew into the most dangerous team themselves. Florian Wirtz, with his best action in weeks, put Dominik Szoboszlai in front of the keeper after just half an hour. The whole of Anfield was already jumping, but Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a phenomenal save with his right leg.

Moments later, Courtois had to fly horizontally to the far post again like an eagle to save with one hand from a ‘pegel’ by Szoboszlai. That wasn’t all, because Real Madrid was lucky not to concede a penalty after a handball by Aurélien Tchouameni. The shot was again from the Hungarian Szoboszlai.

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The VAR was at it for several minutes, the ball actually landed on the hand and the replay made it clear that it was really within the sixteen meters, but when the Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs was called to the screen, he judged, to the great disappointment of Slot and all of Liverpool, that the arm and hand were close enough to the body in his eyes. While he had initially judged from close range that it was hands.

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It heralded a strong phase for Liverpool, who had three enormous heading opportunities after the break. Two via Van Dijk and one via Hugo Ekitiké, who is currently the first striker now that the man worth 150 million (Alexander Isak) has a groin injury. Courtois, who became the best man at Real, received pats on the back from his defenders. Dean Huijsen, who was booked in the first half for a hard foul on Ekitiké, was proud of all the saves made by his keeper.

After more than an hour, Liverpool’s good play was rewarded. From a free kick by, yes again, Szoboszlai, the Argentinian MacAllister headed home: 1-0. It led to a double explosion in the stands, because VAR was involved again. But this time the Spaniards were not saved by video footage.

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On the Real bench, Trent Alexander-Arnold looked on with a sour face. He was left out of the starting line-up against his old club by his coach Xabi Alonso, who, as a former employee of Liverpool, perhaps understood better than anyone how Anfield would turn into a seething stadium if he were on the field.

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Liverpool fans still blame Alexander-Arnold for turning down a multi-million deal after becoming champion with Slot. Huge banners with the term ‘Judas’ hung there in the last weeks of the past season. And now that word was thrown at him again.

At Liverpool, Cody Gakpo met a similar fate as Alexander-Arnold. Wirtz was preferred in his place and it was striking that the German international performed much better in a European match than so far in the high-tempo matches in the Premier League.