Liverpool revival continues vs. Madrid in Champions League

Liverpool, England — alexis mac allister scored the winning goal as liverpoolThe revival of continues 1-0 victory over real Madrid In uefa champions league,

Liverpool thought they had won a first-half penalty when referee Istvan Kovacs ruled Aurélien Tchoumeni for handling the ball, but VAR ruled that the midfielder’s arms were in a natural position.

Jude Bellingham His near-post effort was saved by the Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili At the stroke of halftime, while Thibaut Courtois Made impressive stops in the first half to deny both Dominic Szoboszlai And Mac Allister. Courtois creates another great stop for outdoor living virgil van dijk At the beginning of the second part; however, belgium International ultimately lost when McAllister converted Szoboszlai’s free kick on goal in the 61st minute.

Discussion dominated most of the buildup to the game Trent Alexander-ArnoldA return to Anfield, and the defender was jeered when introduced from the bench in the 78th minute. kilian mbappe He came closest to the visitors in the second half and his effort went wide of the post. But Liverpool managed to secure a win which took them up to sixth place in the Champions League table. –Beth Lindop

Liverpool’s resurgence continues, but this is just the beginning

What a difference a week can make. Just six days earlier, Liverpool’s season had come to an end after a poor run of six defeats in seven matches. they crashed out Carabao Cup at the hands of crystal Palacewith the hope of protecting them Premier League The title is fading with each passing match day.

Fast forward to now, and the picture at Anfield looks quite different. Returned to the league with a 2-0 win Aston VillaLiverpool produced their most impressive performance of the season against Madrid.

The resilience, tenacity and star quality that were sorely missing in the month of October have returned in abundance after the end of the month, and head coach Arne Slot – who came under criticism for the first time in his Liverpool career – will now be lauded for inspiring a team that just moments ago looked out of both hope and ideas.

Of course, this does not mean that Liverpool is “back”. The season is a marathon, not a sprint, and as the campaign progresses there will be many other difficult tests, starting with a journey Manchester City At the Etihad on Sunday. But, at least for now, it looks like better days are back at Anfield. Now it’s up to the slots and their players to keep them there. — Lindop

Doubts remain about Alonso’s move to Madrid

ज़ाबी अलोंसो के रियल मैड्रिड ने अपने योग्य प्रदर्शन के साथ बड़े खेल के प्रदर्शन के बारे में किसी भी संदेह को खत्म कर दिया है el classico victory over barcelona 10 days ago. But this defeat and its manner raise more questions. It was nothing short of the scale of a 4-0 defeat Paris Saint Germain in the Club World Cup, or the 5–2 defeat to Atlético in the Madrid derby. But Los Blancos were clearly inferior to Liverpool, were second best across the field, and could have lost by more than one goal.

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Alonso spoke about the unique atmosphere at Anfield before the game: “Those moments when the stadium roars, and create a positive energy for Liverpool.” Here, Madrid realized this, but did not move forward on this occasion; Instead, they kept playing within themselves. He created just one big chance for Jude Bellingham before halftime. Otherwise, there was minimal threat, and for a team that included Bellingham, Mbappé and Vinicius JuniorThis is a big disappointment.

Choosing an additional midfielder Eduardo Camavinga Did not help, and the replacement of Alonso – Introduction rodrigoAlexander-Arnold and brahim diaz –Nothing changed. Alonso insists that his Madrid are still a team under construction, in the early stages of the process, and far from the finished article. This performance against a top team – despite Liverpool’s recent Premier League struggles – reinforces that idea. If Madrid are to make a mark in Europe this season, they will need to improve rapidly. –Alex Kirkland

Bradley shines in unhappy Alexander-Arnold reunion

Even before a ball was kicked on Tuesday night, Liverpool fans made their feelings very clear. While former star Alexander-Arnold watched the proceedings from the Real Madrid bench, the Kop introduced his replacement to chants of “There is only one”. connor bradley,

It has been a mixed campaign for the Northern Ireland international, with both form and fitness preventing him from staking his claim to the position Alexander-Arnold redefined in his illustrious Anfield career. But against Madrid, Bradley made sure to show the watching world why Liverpool believe he is the right successor to the England international, making a brilliant save against the tricky Vinicius Junior and helping Liverpool keep their fourth clean sheet of the season.

Barely 15 minutes were left in the game when Bradley picked out the ball from Bellingham and fired it past Mbappé to bring his team up the pitch. This maneuver caused the crowd to give him a standing ovation and their support for him was confirmed when Alexander-Arnold was introduced from the bench in the final stages. The 27-year-old might not have imagined the welcome he would find himself at home upon leaving the club as two-time Premier League champions in the summer. However, in this deeply partisan city, Alexander-Arnold’s exit is viewed by many as an almighty betrayal. Fans expressed their displeasure by booing and jeering whenever their former number 66 touched the ball.

It seems absence has not made the heart grow fonder. But if Bradley’s star continues to rise, Alexander-Arnold’s departure may be less difficult. — Lindop

Mbappe calm again at Anfield

Mbappe looked unstoppable this season – until he arrived at Anfield. Mbappe had scored 18 goals in 14 matches before this match – five of them in the Champions League – but against Liverpool, he rarely threatened. It was a throwback to last season, when Mbappé began the campaign looking unsure of himself, culminating in a missed penalty in Madrid’s 2–0 defeat at Anfield on 27 November. He missed another in La Liga a week later, with Mbappe later describing the spell as “rock bottom”.

A year later, this defeat at Anfield was not Mbappé’s fault. He lacked service, as the attack around him failed to work and Liverpool kept Madrid at arm’s length. But even the brief moments of danger he was able to generate were not in his favor. Seventeen minutes later, the first shot flew over the bar. Twenty minutes later, no attempt was made to push back, preventing a promising counterattack. Midway through the second half, he collided with Virgil van Dijk – never a pleasant experience – and moments later, when a alvaro carreras The run ended with a ball across the six-yard box, with Mbappé nowhere in sight.

Their best chance came from a pass from Vinicius Junior in the 75th minute. Mbappé’s shot, somewhat inaccurate, went wide. On the sidelines, Alonso jumped in frustration, knowing that a promising position – one of the few all night – had passed Madrid. –Kirkland

game

What went wrong for Real Madrid against Liverpool?

Ale Moreno discusses Xabi Alonso’s tactical decisions in Real Madrid’s 0-1 defeat to Liverpool.

Match winner Mac Allister is back to his best performance

McAllister could be forgiven for thinking he is suffering from déjà vu. As the midfielder was taken to the side of the pitch to collect the Player of the Match award on Tuesday night, he may have been reminded of the same time last year when he also earned praise after a star turn against Real Madrid.

That night in 2024, McAllister opened the scoring in a 2–0 win for Slott’s team, at a time when he was operating at the peak of his powers. This season, it has been a different story for the Argentina international, whose campaign last season was disrupted by an unspecified injury that also disrupted his preseason.

However, he still managed to make himself a hero with a masterful midfield display including the match-winning goal against Madrid. His decline in form has undoubtedly contributed to Liverpool’s recent poor form, and it is no coincidence that his two best performances of the campaign – against Villa and Madrid – coincided with the Reds’ two best team performances. Keeping McAllister fit and active will be key to ensuring Liverpool’s resurgence is not just a fluke. — Lindop

Courtois kept the scoreline respectable

Van Dijk was laughing. In the 47th minute, Courtois had the giant centre-back’s goalbound header saved, and the feeling at Anfield was: isn’t this getting a little ridiculous? Even Courtois allowed himself a brief smile at this latest miraculous intervention, before moving on to organize his under-fire defence.

Van Dijk’s save was not Courtois’ first outstanding stop of the game, or his second. He made two difficult saves on Dominik Szoboszlai in the first half, one of which was from point-blank range. Van Dijk’s save was not to last either. Just a minute later, Courtois deflected a shot past Akitike in equally impressive fashion. He then saved Szoboszlai’s free kick. Courtois was also helpless when McAllister’s goal came. The header was too close, too powerful, passing over his head before he had time to react.

Courtois and Liverpool have a history. The goalkeeper’s performance in the 2022 Champions League final in Paris – he made a record nine saves, meaning Liverpool’s dominance came to nothing after Madrid won 1-0 – was unforgettable. Here, there were eight rescues. He didn’t contribute to Madrid’s victory this time, but he ensured it remained a close encounter when, at times, the balance of the game was anything but. –Kirkland