Liverpool remain perfect in Europe while Madrid misery continues

LIVERPOOL, England – Liverpool maintained their perfect start to the UEFA Champions League with a 2-0 win against Real Madrid on Wednesday, leaving the reigning European champions in danger of missing out on qualification for the knockout stages.

Second half goal from Alexis McAllister and Cody Gakpo at Anfield sealed Liverpool’s fifth consecutive Champions League win and moved Arne Slot’s side two points clear at the top of the table. It was the Reds’ first win against Los Blancos in the Champions League since 3 March 2009, ending an eight-game winless streak against the Spanish capital club (a span that included seven defeats).

But Real, who won the Champions League for a record 15th time against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley last season, have now lost three out of five games so far and sit in 24th place – the last qualifying spot for February’s play-off stage.

Kylian Mbappé had the chance to equalize for Madrid when he had a penalty saved by Liverpool’s goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher while the score was 1-0 to the home team. The criminal drama also affected Liverpool, with Mohamed Salah sent his spot-kick wide after 70 minutes.

Real now face a tough trip to UEFA Europa League champions Atalanta on Matchday 6 next month as they try to reignite their hopes of qualifying for the next stage of the competition. — Mark Ogden

Mbappé and Salah are both missing; Mbappé’s is expensive

Nobody would have been happier to see Salah deflect his second-half penalty at Anfield than Mbappé, having seen his own spot-kick saved nine minutes earlier. Salah’s miss at least took some of the limelight off Mbappé after a truly disastrous night for the Madrid striker.

This was the France international’s biggest opportunity yet to impress in a Madrid shirt after a shaky start to life at the Bernabeú. Instead, it was his season so far in microcosm. In 90 minutes, Mbappé only had two shots, one on target, and that was the penalty. He attempted only 22 passes – only Ferland Mendy had fewer – completed 16.

Scoring the penalty could have changed his night and would have put Madrid back in the game at 1-1. Instead, Mbappé fluffed his lines. His performance will be scrutinized in the Madrid media on Thursday and fans’ patience will not last forever.

Salah’s miss was less costly – although a worse effort – and could be forgotten soon enough given Liverpool’s victory. But that wasn’t what he needed either, in a week when he admitted he is “more out than in” at Anfield, having not received a new contract offer.

However, Salah is a Liverpool legend and his team are flying domestically and in Europe. Mbappé has just started in Madrid and with three defeats in five their Champions League campaign is already spiraling out of control. — Alex Kirkland

Kelleher lives up to the Klopp-given nickname

If Kelleher’s Liverpool career to date could be summed up in a single moment, then his stunning penalty save to deny Mbappé could be it.

A spectator for most of the evening against Madrid, the man Jürgen Klopp once called “the best No. 2 in the world” once again lived up to his title, becoming the first goalkeeper to deny the Frenchman a place in the Champions League and laying the groundwork for Liverpool can secure a famous victory against their European nemesis.

In truth, Kelleher can no longer be dubbed “No. 2.” He has played more for Liverpool than Alison Becker in 2024 due to the Brazilian’s continued struggles with a hamstring problem.

Once again on Wednesday night, he did not let Castle’s side down, making a handful of late saves to preserve the hosts’ clean sheet. While the impending arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia surely means Kelleher’s long-term future lies away from Anfield, his continued brilliance in Alisson’s absence means that if, or when, he leaves, he will do so as a cult hero. — Beth Lindop

Bradley gives Alexander-Arnold a look into the future

Trent Alexander-Arnold could have had an uncomfortable glimpse of the future as he sat on Liverpool’s substitutes’ bench as his team-mates defeated Real Madrid.

On the one hand, the Liverpool defender will have seen Conor Bradley producing a fantastic performance at right-back and showing that he is more than capable of keeping Alexander-Arnold out of the team now that he is fully fit. And with endless speculation linking Alexander-Arnold with a free move to Real next summer if he fails to sign a new deal at Anfield, the 26-year-old may have just learned that the La Liga giants are a team in decline just six months after winning the Champions League and that a move to the Santiago Bernabeú might not be the dream it once seemed.

But tonight was really about Bradley, the impressive 21-year-old who was superb against Real.

The Northern Ireland international set the tone with a crunching tackle on Mbappé in the first half that brought huge cheers from The Kop. Bradley continued to produce a rock-solid performance at full-back, as well as a threat going forward.

Bradley was only denied a goal Thibaut Courtois produced a world-class save to keep out his second-half header from close range.

If Liverpool are worried about losing Alexander-Arnold, they really shouldn’t be. — Ogden

Bellingham feels Anfield’s wrath

Jude Bellingham delivered an outspoken press conference ahead of this match when he spoke of being singled out as a “scapegoat” for England’s failure to win Euro 2024. He also dismissed speculation that he almost joined Liverpool before signing with Real Madrid in 2023 because Real was on a “different level.”

Bellingham’s comments about Liverpool led to him being booed by the Anfield crowd every time he touched the ball. It appeared to have an impact on his performance as the 21-year-old was poor against Castle’s side.

Liverpool midfielders Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch dominated Bellingham, both in physical challenges and with the ball, and spent most of the game struggling to make an impact.

In Bellingham’s defense, he played a deeper role than he usually enjoys. Carlo Ancelotti deployed him on the left of midfield behind a front three of Mbappé, Brahim Diaz and Arda Güler.

As with England at Euro 2024, when the game passes Bellingham, he offers little, however, and his frustration becomes apparent. This match was another example, and it couldn’t have been more poorly timed considering Bellingham had complained about his treatment after the EC.

When a player talks about being misjudged or roughed up, the best way to prove a point is usually to make it on the field. At Anfield, he ended up being outshone by two of the players Liverpool recruited after pulling out of the race to sign him 18 months ago. — Ogden