Trent Alexander-Arnold had a difficult return to Anfield in the Champions League, but Liverpool beat Real Madrid 1-0 thanks to Alexis Mac Allister’s header.
Madrid’s best player, Thibaut Courtois, made three first-half saves to deny Dominik Szoboszlai, and Virgil van Dijk and Hugo Ekitike had headers after the break, but the unlucky Florian Wirtz made the most of his chance with a recall.
Madrid also avoided a controversial penalty decision in the first half, but could not put Liverpool away for good, with Mac Allister heading home Szoboszlai’s cross from close range. LaLiga leaders Xabi Alonso’s team never came close to scoring an equalizer.
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Clinton Morrison reacts to Liverpool’s penalty decision against Real Madrid
Alexander-Arnold, whose mural was defaced the night before the match, was booed onto the pitch for warm-ups when his name was read out by the announcer before kick-off, and most loudly at the end when he was introduced as a substitute.
Conor Bradley, who replaced him at Liverpool’s right-back, faced a tough test against Vinicius Junior and rose to the challenge well, with the Anfield crowd regularly calling out his name and even warning him when the Brazilian made his own advances.
All in all, it was a cathartic performance as Arne Slott’s new team Liverpool built on a much-improved performance against Aston Villa on Saturday night, rediscovering their best form after a worrying run of recent defeats.
The points lifted them into the top eight of the Champions League table, level on points with Madrid, but it also marks the end of Madrid’s own perfect record. The two teams could meet again in the spring, and coach Alexander-Arnold will likely want to have more say.
Bradley’s memorable games
Conor Bradley hugs Arne Slott after Liverpool win
The final moments of the game summed up the night. Alexander-Arnold over-hit a cross into the box, booed at every touch, and Bradley was at the back post, guiding the ball out of play and into the back of Vinicius Junior.
The crowd at Anfield enjoyed the outscoring of the homegrown player who replaced the full-back who left the Premier League champions to join Real Madrid. It was a tough night for Alexander-Arnold, but a memorable one for Bradley.
This is not the first time against Madrid. There was that tackle on Kylian Mbappé last season. This performance was perhaps more complete, shutting out Vinicius Junior multiple times. It was confirmation of his status as an elite full-back.
There were signs going against Aston Villa, but this was another box ticked for Bradley. Slott has had to use Szoboszlai as a right-back this season, but his return to the Northern Ireland squad looks set to cement the position as his own.
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Sky Sports’ Vinny O’Connor and Adam Bate report on Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Slott praises Bradley
“Connor was outstanding. He was great,” Slott said. “Last season he was outstanding against Real Madrid, but he had to be sent off in the 80th minute. When he played 90 minutes against Villa, he played 90 minutes against Vinicius with incredible intensity.”
Have Liverpool turned a corner? “Let me be clear: we were in a very bad form in terms of results. There is no excuse in the world to make up for losing so many games. But we had to play a lot of games in a short amount of time and had very little rest.
“Tonight we played a team that also played on Saturday, so we both had two days off. It helps to have a home game because I think we’ve played our last eight to six games on the road. On balance, we’ll have a little bit of an edge.”
Has Trent’s arrival helped Liverpool?
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Slott talks about Trent Alexander-Arnold’s return to Anfield
Asked whether the introduction of Alexander-Arnold helped Liverpool as the atmosphere became even more hostile for Madrid, Slott simply said the atmosphere was good throughout the game. He later revealed that he had spoken to the players.
“I hugged him, but I don’t even know exactly what I said,” the Liverpool head coach replied. “Every time I see him, I give him a hug or talk to him, because he is very special to me, both as a player and as a person.”
Alonso also denied suggestions that Alexander-Arnold’s arrival would be a hindrance for the team. “We needed his quality,” said the Madrid manager. “We needed his threat from the wings, which was expected. Professional and mature, he was ready for it.”
