Kylian Mbappe noticed a penalty saved as Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday to inflict a 3rd Champions League defeat in 5 matches on the holders. Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo scored the targets within the second half because the Reds maintained their excellent document to return to the highest of the desk. Mohamed Salah additionally fired broad from the spot, however it mattered little as Liverpool secured a seventeenth win in Arne Slot’s first 19 video games in cost. Slot has already achieved what Jurgen Klopp couldn’t as Liverpool boss by slaying the Spanish giants.
Liverpool had a rating to settle with Madrid, who had been unbeaten in eight earlier conferences between the edges, together with Champions League finals in opposition to Klopp’s males in 2018 and 2022.
“You know the way particular it’s to play in opposition to a membership that received this Champions League so many instances, are the reigning champions and had been a ache within the ass for Liverpool many instances as effectively,” stated Slot.
Defeat sends Carlo Ancelotti’s aspect tumbling right down to twenty fourth within the desk.
Only the highest 24 progress to the knockout stage with the highest eight advancing on to the final 16.
Liverpool are effectively on track to just do that and the arrogance coursing by a aspect additionally eight factors clear on the high of the Premier League was in proof all through in entrance of a highly-charged Anfield crowd.
Madrid had been hamstrung by a prolonged damage record and made the journey to England with out Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni and David Alaba.
Young centre-back Raul Asencio has been pressed into motion by these absences and he made a significant goal-line clearance on 4 minutes.
Darwin Nunez was despatched in behind the Madrid defence by Salah and after his shot produced a positive save from Thibaut Courtois, Asencio reacted neatly to stop the rebound bouncing off him and into his personal internet.
Courtois was Liverpool’s scourge with a man-of-the-match efficiency within the ultimate two years in the past as Madrid prevailed 1-0 in Paris.
The Belgian was at his finest once more as he blocked one other huge Nunez likelihood from point-blank vary because the Liverpool strain constructed with out reward earlier than the break.
‘Difficult time’ for Mbappe
Courtois produced one other sensible cease at the beginning of the second interval to parry Conor Bradley’s downward header.
But Liverpool had been to not be denied as Bradley was this time the supplier for Mac Allister, who manufactured the house for a shot into the far nook on 52 minutes.
The guests had been counting on Mbappe for a second of magic within the absence of Vinicius, however the Frenchman was well-marshalled by his worldwide team-mate Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk.
His likelihood to silence his critics arrived on the hour mark when Andy Robertson was adjudged to have tripped Lucas Vazquez inside the world.
Caoimhin Kelleher has excelled within the absence of the injured Alisson Becker and leapt to his left to avoid wasting Mbappe’s spot-kick.
“It is a troublesome time for Kylian,” stated Ancelotti. “We need to be affected person with him, he’s an distinctive participant.”
Salah sparked a furore forward of the sport by declaring his disappointment with Liverpool’s failure to supply him a contract renewal.
The Egyptian has been in glowing type this season and his tempo and trickery fooled Ferland Mendy right into a mistimed problem.
Salah, although, gave Madrid a lifeline by firing his penalty off the skin of the publish.
Liverpool needed to wait simply six extra minutes for the cushion of a second aim as substitute Gakpo rose highest from Robertson’s cross to energy a header previous Courtois.
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