Liverpool vs Real Madrid Review
Liverpool triumphed in a Champions League match against Real Madrid, winning 2-0. This victory marked only the second time the Reds have managed to avoid defeat in their last eight encounters with Los Blancos. Raúl Asencio, who was making his UCL debut, was forced into action early on as Darwin Núñez charged forward and took a shot that Thibaut Courtois deflected onto the center-back, who cleared it off the line. Although scoring opportunities were scarce in the first 20 minutes, the match was fiercely competitive, with Asencio and Núñez receiving yellow cards for a scuffle in the box, and Virgil van Dijk making an impact with a shoulder challenge on Kylian Mbappé.
Núñez remained actively engaged in the game, seizing a loose ball in the penalty area but was thwarted by the advancing Courtois. Conor Bradley then showcased his defensive skills with an excellent tackle on Mbappé, just before Núñez narrowly missed with a header. Shortly after, Luis Díaz had his header saved by Courtois, and Curtis Jones shot over the bar as Liverpool continued to press. However, Alexis Max Allister received a yellow card for deliberately halting an Arda Güler run, which means he will be unavailable for the next match.
After halftime, Liverpool maintained their attacking momentum, with Eduardo Camavinga deflecting Jones’ shot wide and Courtois making a fantastic save on Bradley’s header. The Reds finally broke through shortly after, as Max Allister executed a one-two with Bradley and placed his shot just out of Courtois’ reach. Despite not having a shot on target until then, Caoimhín Kelleher surprisingly outsmarted Mbappé during a penalty in the 61st minute after Lucas Vázquez fell under pressure from Andy Robertson. Mohamed Salah also failed to convert a penalty, hitting the post after skillfully maneuvering past Ferland Mendy to earn the spot-kick.
Unfazed, Liverpool scored their second goal just six minutes later when Cody Gakpo leaped to head in a cross from Robertson, ensuring the Reds maintained their flawless UCL record this season and remained at the top of the table. They also handed Real Madrid their third straight European loss, leaving the struggling team in 24th place, which is the final play-off spot.
