Liverpool, February 22 (BNA): The defending champions made a stunning comeback from two goals down to secure a devastating 5-2 victory over Liverpool, who were stunned in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.
Goals from Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema turned what looked like an unpleasant evening for Real into an elegant match that left Jurgen Klopp’s side on the canvas facing a monumental task to reach the quarter-finals, Reuters reports.
It was Liverpool’s biggest home defeat in Champions League history, losing 3-0 to the same opposition in 2014.
In a replay of last year’s final, the first half was played out at a ferocious pace, with the hosts taking the lead in the fourth minute through a superb Darwin Nunez flick – the fastest goal Liverpool have ever scored at Anfield in the Champions League. league.
And the stadium erupted after 10 minutes when a terrible mistake by Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois allowed Mohamed Salah to finish second, and the Egyptian was now Liverpool’s top scorer in the European Championship.
But as they did on several occasions en route to their 14th European Cup crown last season, Real quickly turned things around, with Vinicius scoring a stunning goal and a one-goal after another goalkeeper error to tie the game by half-time.
Eder Militao’s header completed Real Madrid’s conversion early in the second half, wiping out all life at Anfield in the process.
But the hosts’ struggles didn’t end there, as Benzema’s brace ensured Liverpool scored five goals at home for only the third time this century in all competitions.
“It’s an important night for us,” Benzema told Movistar Plus, “we showed character and scored the goals we needed. We want the Champions League title.”
“We struggled at the beginning, they started well, better than us, it was a big game. But we managed to turn things around. We are in a good position but football is difficult and we have to finish the deal at home.”
Klopp said in the run-up to the match that he could not replay last season’s final, which Real won 1-0, until this weekend, and insisted it was torture to do so, recalling how Liverpool’s chances of winning in Paris were ruined. Masterpiece.
Fourteen minutes at Anfield and some form of salvation seemed to be on the cards for the Liverpool manager.
First, Nunez swooped in Salah’s accurate pass and kicked the ball into the net from his legs, before he smashed the record-breaking goal of the Egyptian, from a mistake made by Courtois, who was the best player in the Paris final, and made it two goals.
A player with Vinicius’s abilities who only needed one chance and a great finish cracked from the edge of the penalty area started to come back, before Alisson smashed the ball at the Brazilian, with the rebound bouncing into the unguarded net.
The second half was a lesson in how to kill a game, and possibly a draw, from Real, who didn’t leave Liverpool an inch and took their chances clinically.
Militao’s superb header from a Luka Modric corner was unstoppable, but there was more than an element of luck in the fourth goal as Joe Gomez cleared Benzema’s effort on a stranded Alisson.
Benzema’s second goal was brilliantly placed on the counter, with the Real striker calmly using his time to score and finish off the hosts. The Frenchman has scored six goals against Liverpool in the Champions League, more than any other player.
“It’s hard to sum it up straight after the game,” Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson told BT Sport.
“Mixed feelings. Frustration with the result. For large parts of the first half we played well and were unlucky to equalize at half-time. We made a lot of mistakes. Real Madrid punished us every time tonight”.