Real Madrid left their Champions League round of 16 tie on track on Tuesday, after beating Liverpool (2-5) and knocking out Liverpool at Anfield, with a display of goals and character, after an outstanding first half from Vinicius, who held a white team. Real Madrid grew after the break to strengthen their status as champions and prolong their idyll with the top continental competition.
Los Blancos survived a heart-stopping first few minutes and a powerful Liverpool side, supported by their fans. The Anfield side left Real Madrid with their backs to the wall, with a 2-0 lead in just 14 minutes and a mistake by Thibaut Courtois in the second goal. But Vinicius, who completed a brilliant performance and celebrated a brace in the first half, pulled his team back and left his side alive, equalizing at the break.
At the restart, Los Merengues showed their best side, more focused. Luka Modric was the guide that was not seen in the first half, giving more sense to everything the Whites did. Militao and Benzema, with a brace, catapulted Real Madrid to another great European night.
Ancelotti’s side came out a little blurred and less connected than the ‘reds’, also boosted by the usual initial push at Anfield. Stage fright played a dirty trick on the Merengues, who saw Liverpool take the lead with a stellar back-heel from Darwin Núñez, after a measured pass from Mohamed Salah on the right.
The early goal gave the home side a solidity, and they were comfortable with the dizzying pace they set from the outset. And in another error in Eduardo Camavinga’s midfield, the ‘reds’ came out in a flurry and Carvajal served a complicated ball to Courtois, who after controlling with his chest, missed with Salah so close that he picked up the ball to send the ball into the back of the net unchallenged. Real Madrid were almost knocked out, on the ropes.
And in that state of uncertainty, Vinicius appeared when his team needed him most, to pull a whip from his sleeve, already inside the area on the left, to beat Alisson who could do nothing. The Whites did not go ‘crazy’ to get closer to the scoreboard, guided by a Brazilian striker who was pulling the strings. But after a failed counterattack by the Carioca, Liverpool had another clear chance with a break down the right, where Ancelotti’s team suffered the most, but Salah was unable to finish from the edge of the area, almost on the goal line.
That play left the bad news for the madridistas with the injury of David Alaba, who was replaced by Nacho Fernandez in the middle of the first half. After this stoppage, Los Blancos had two good chances. The first in another isolated corner, after a rebound, with another quick shot that Alisson saved with a strong hand. And then, Fede Valverde did not connect well with the ball after a good back-heeled pass from Rodrygo on the edge of the area.
And if a mistake by Courtois gave Liverpool a big advantage, Alisson also failed to clear the ball, hitting Vinicius so close that the ball bounced off the Carioca and went straight into the ‘red’ goal. The Brazilian’s brace levelled the attractive and fast-paced game at Anfield, which could have gone 2-3 at halftime if the Whites had completed another ‘dive’ by Valverde to set up Vinicius. The latter gave uncontested to Rodrygo, whose shot was saved on the line by Alisson, in the clearest of the madridistas.
In contrast to the opening whistle, Real Madrid started more lively and were able to celebrate the momentary comeback with a powerful free kick from the left that Militao headed in unmarked, to silence Anfield. And Benzema was still to appear without much presence until the 55th minute, when he connected with Rodrygo in front of the goal to shoot something forced, but fortune took the ball to hit Gomez and went straight into the goal and give a two-goal advantage to the Whites.
The French ‘9’ was growing, along with Luka Modric who gave his best version in the second half, and was once again the protagonist in the umpteenth example of ‘punch’ of the Whites. The Croatian launched the umpteenth counterattack for Vinicius to head into the ‘red’ area, serving Benzema, who had the temperance to cut back to Alisson and beat him in an empty goal, completing the ‘manita’ white ‘manita’.
The powerful advantage allowed Real Madrid to put the match in formaldehyde and defend their important victory at Anfield, also with the changes to distribute minutes, considering that this Saturday they will host Atletico Madrid. This historic 2-5 win extends the positive dynamic of the madridistas against Liverpool, who have not beaten the Merengues since 2009. Ancelotti’s men put the tie on track for the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 15.
LIVERPOOL, 2 – REAL MADRID, 5 (2-2, at halftime) .
LIVERPOOL: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Joe Gomez (Matip, min.73), Robertson; Henderson (Milner, min.73), Fabinho, Bajcetic (Elliot, min.85); Salah, Gakpo (Firmino, min.64) and Nunez (Jota, min.64).
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rüdiger, Alaba (Nacho, min.27); Camavinga, Modric (Kroos, min.87), Valverde; Rodrygo (Ceballos, min.81), Benzema (Asensio, min.87) and Vinicius.
GOALS: .
1-0, 4th minute. Darwin Núñez.
2-0, 14th minute. Salah.
2-1, 21st minute. Vinicius.
2-2, 36th minute. Vinicius.
2-3, minute 47. Militao.
2-4, minute 55. Benzema.
2-5, minute 67. Benzema.
REFEREE: Istvan Kovacs (RUM). Yellow cards for Elliot (min.93) for Liverpool, and Vinicius (min.60) for Real Madrid.
STADIUM: Anfield.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
