Liverpool secured a place in the Champions League last 16 with a commanding 2-0 victory over title holders Real Madrid on Wednesday, maintaining their perfect record in the competition. This win marks Liverpool as the first team to advance to the knockout stage, while Madrid, suffering their third defeat in five matches, dropped to 24th in the table.
The match at Anfield saw second-half goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo, leading to manager Arne Slot’s 17th win in 19 games since taking charge of the Reds. Mac Allister broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute with a precise finish, and Gakpo extended the lead in the 76th minute, heading in Andrew Robertson’s cross. Mohamed Salah missed a penalty, firing wide, but the team remained unfazed, especially after Kylian Mbappe’s earlier penalty miss that could have changed the dynamic of the match.
French international Mbappe had his chance in the 61st minute after Lucas Vazquez was fouled by Robertson. However, his penalty was saved by Liverpool’s goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who delivered an impressive performance in the absence of the injured Alisson Becker.
The victory propels Liverpool back to the top of the table with 15 points. Meanwhile, an injury-hit Real Madrid, who traveled to Anfield without key players including Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni, and David Alaba, find themselves just above the relegation zone. Only the top 24 teams progress to the knockout stage, with the top eight teams directly entering the last 16.
“You know how special it is to play against a club that won this Champions League so many times, are the reigning champions, and were a pain in the ass for Liverpool many times as well,” said manager Arne Slot, acknowledging Madrid’s dominance in their previous encounters, including two Champions League finals in 2018 and 2022.
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Liverpool exact revenge on Real Madrid to advance in Champions League
cgtn.com
