Esto es Anfield. What do you want?
The message given by the Spanish media in 2009 was completely wrong. real Madrid Yossi Benayoun from the first leg came to Anfield to smash his goal. This time though – even with two Liverpool Europe’s bests from last season could be forgiven for thinking there was an element that might seem real this time around, perhaps.
This was Anfield. So what? After all, the Reds lost to Leeds here, were held by Derby in regular time, failed to beat the Wolves and drew with Chelsea, all in their last nine home games. This isn’t last season’s Liverpool, and the reigning champions of this competition have come to Merseyside with the belief of a win, not just a positive result.
In short, it went very differently. Real aren’t the first team to be hit hard and fast in a European night, but the anger of pre-match home support has an additional layer on their first Champions League night since the release of the Uefa report acknowledging Uefa’s misrepresentations. Final in Paris last semester. “Uefa Liars”, He read a banner in Kop.
The match anthem was suppressed; Then the real action started, and so did the lines of communication between the visiting team’s defenders.
Anyway, Liverpool roared through them early three and four times, scoring a goal, coming close once or twice and then making the most of Thibaut Courtois’ most disastrous moment of the season, that’s the assumption.
Only 15 minutes and Real could be in danger of being blown away. However, even at that time of the game Real had shown signs of his own threat and why they were constantly able to find moments on the biggest stage even if they weren’t in that good form or weren’t that good of a team apparently. , they still win the draw. Earn trophies anyway.
Darwin Nunez’s early goal proved to be a false dawn for Liverpool
(PA)
And so the rest of the half passed: a 45-minute microcosm of Los Blancos’ ability to look back, complete, in need of a refresh – but also the zombie Kings of Europe, the undead and completely indestructible. In short, a team that is lacking at times but still has more than the rest, especially the last third.
Between collective intelligence, individual errors, and moments that are yet to be fully explained, Real took a 4-2 lead ahead of the two in the 36-minute gap on either side of the half. It finished 5-2 and could have been more on either side of the score line.
That’s what they can still do: Toggle it on and off for the most important games’ spells to get right to the heart of any opponent’s weakness – in this case, a lack of defensive speed when he’s back.
The deflecting Benzema goal was actually the biggest example of this, as the three midfielders were swept away by quick wall passes and runners running off the ball. But each of the other kicks saw midfielders or defenders pass by them, leaving them flat-footed, ashamed of the sheer action.
Vinicius Jr. naturally it was a constant outlet and threat. Karim Benzema He made another great stance. But the biggest difference between the teams was the most obvious before the match: midfield.
It has plagued Liverpool for months, especially off the ball, and even the last two wins – although much better on offense – have not shown any significant improvement in central control, organization or protection of the back line. .
Meanwhile, Real’s has been the cornerstone of their success and have updated Of the longstanding trio, only Luka Modric was in place here, but Federico Valverde made his usual domination move when it mattered, and Eduardo Camavinga played around the concrete legs in red.
Away goals no longer count as an extra in the Champions League. But in the first game, five will almost certainly be enough.
And Real has its own feet in the midfield, as well as that unmistakable sense of being better to thank for it.