For their 37th match of a season of exhausting schedules, Real Madrid went to Anfield with their captain, Karim Benzema, struggling for fitness.
Their best launcher of counter-attacks, Toni Kroos, was too unwell with gastroenteritis to board Monday's plane to Merseyside with his teammates. Neither of their squad’s most expensive footballers, Eden Hazard (out of form) or Aurelien Tchouameni (ill) were in the starting line-up.
Madrid were also without their regular left back, the injured Ferland Mendy, to mark Mohamed Salah. They then lost his replacement, David Alaba to a thigh problem with two-thirds of the first leg of their Champions League tie against Liverpool still to play. Madrid were losing 2-0 after 14 minutes.
What happened in the next 51 minutes was astounding. But perhaps it ought not to have been. The wisest forecaster of what would have been a breathtaking turnaround even if it hadn’t happened at Anfield, a genuine European fortress, was probably Jurgen Klopp.
The day before his side gave up their two-goal lead for a 5-2 defeat, Klopp had told reporters: “Real Madrid don’t lose confidence. I don’t think you make this team panic.”
Not even when their goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, man of the match when Liverpool lost the Champions League final to Madrid last May, makes the sort of unforced error, the ball bobbling off his knee, that gifted Salah Liverpool’s second goal. Not even when Madrid escaped conceding another in the first half thanks only to a desperate goalline clearance from Eder Militao.
So habitual is the so-called ‘remontada’, the comeback, for Madrid in Europe there’s a temptation to imagine they fall behind as part of a deliberate tease, a taunt aimed at upstarts like Paris Saint-Germain or giants of the big-spending Premier League.
In the last 12 months, Madrid have trailed PSG and Manchester City by the same margin that they fell behind to Liverpool and won. They were losing to Chelsea in last season’s quarter-final until the 80th minute of the second leg. And that tie was probably the smoothest of their extraordinary rollercoaster ride to a 14th European Cup.
Liverpool v Real Madrid player ratings
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LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Alisson Becker 4: No chance stopping Vinicius’s stunning opening goal. Horrible mistake when his pass out from back rebounded off Vinicius and into the net to make it 2-2. Wong-footed by deflection on fourth goal, rounded by Benzema for fifth. Reuters -
Trent Alexander-Arnold 6: Impressive passing display in first-half as right-back picked out teammates at will down right flank. Curled free-kick straight at keeper just before break. Like rest of Liverpool defence, found Vinicius a handful – to say the least. Getty -
Joe Gomez 4: Sloppy defending gifted chance to Rodrygo in opening 10 minutes but Real attacker failed to take advantage. Clumsy challenge on Vinicius gave away free-kick that led to Real going 3-2 up just after half-time, then deflected Benzema shot into the net minutes later for fourth goal. EPA -
Virgil Van Dijk 6: Came to Gomez’s rescue when he blocked Rodrygo shot after defensive partner lost possession in first-half but even class and experience of Dutchman couldn’t prevent Real running riot as match went on. PA -
Andrew Robertson 6: Wonderful sliding interception just before break stopped Rodrygo tapping home to make it 3-2 just before half-time. Has been brutal about Liverpool's failings this season and could do nothing as team fell apart in spectacular fashion again. Getty -
Jordan Henderson 5: Made some decent runs forward between the lines in first-half but made wrong call when he tried to anticipate Vinicius ahead Real’s opener, allowing Brazilian space to shoot. Father Time has caught up with experienced midfielder at this level. AP -
Fabinho 6: Some tough tackling from Brazilian midfielder but he and Henderson were made to look pedestrian against quality of Real’s movement on occasions. EPA -
Stefan Bajcetic 5: Teenage midfielder has played his way into Liverpool’s starting XI of late but found the going tough at times against Real’s star-studded midfield. Distribution not up to required standard. Getty -
Mohamed Salah 7: Provided assist for Nunez’s early goal and will be disappointed he didn’t score himself when he side-footed chance wide not long after. But did score in 15th minute after capitalising on terrible Courtois blunder. Faded after sparkling first half hour. AP -
Cody Gakpo 5: Dutch attacker was aiming to make it three goals on the spin but made very little impact for Merseysiders here and was no surprise when he was hooked just after hour mark. EPA -
Darwin Nunez 6: Audacious backheel finish to put Liverpool ahead after three minutes and showed his willingness to track back with an important interception at other end of pitch later in half. Not a sniff of goal in second-half when Liverpool failed to lay glove on Real. AP -
SUBS: Roberto Firmino (On for Nunez 64’) 5: Lost possession just after coming on which started Real’s counter-attack for fifth goal. Headed chance straight at keeper. Reuters Diogo Jota (On for Gapko 64’) 5: Portuguese has barely played this season due to injury and little chance to make impact here. -
James Milner (On for Henderson 73’) 5: Thankless introduction for veteran who was brought on with his team 5-2 down. AP -
Joel Matip (On for Gomez 73’) 6: Experienced defender can at least say no more goals were scored after he came on. AP -
REAL MADRID RATINGS: Thibaut Courtois 5: The hero of last year’s final in Paris gifted Salah Liverpool’s second goal with a horrendous error - but it didn’t prove crucial as Real ripped opponents apart at other end of pitch. EPA -
Dani Carvajal 8: Top-quality performance from right-back who never looked flustered and hardly put a foot wrong. Push on Nunez at start of second half had Liverpool striker claiming a penalty but rightly waved away by referee. AFP -
Eder Militao 8: Caught sleeping as Nunez found space for his very early goal and had to limp off injured after 25 minutes. Blocked Nunez’s close-range shot as Liverpool nearly made it 3-1 in first half. Stooping header from defender made it 3-2 to Real. EPA -
Antonio Rudiger 7: Former Chelsea defender back on English turf was solid at back for Spaniard and went for one optimistic strike from distance at other end of pitch in second half that that flew wide. Embarrassing over-reaction after being caught in face by Nunez at one point. Reuters -
David Alaba 4: Was struggling badly against the runs of Salah and the passing of Alexander-Arnold before having to limp off injured before half-hour mark. A night to forget for Austrian on night to remember for Real. AFP -
Luka Modric 8: Picked out Militao with perfect low free-kick from left-hand side of penalty area that saw Brazilian head Real in front just after break. At heart of counter-attack for team’s fifth goal. Croatian took control of midfield in second half as Real took control of game – and tie as whole. Getty -
Eduardo Camavinga 8: Key player in midfield alongside Modric as Real managed to turnaround two-goal deficit in some style at Anfield. Won important tackles and kept things simple with his distribution. EPA -
Federico Valverde 8: Scored 12th goal of season against Osasuna at the weekend but shot wildly over bar when well placed in first half. Superb industry and workrate from one of the form players in world football. AFP -
Rodrygo 8: Must have thought Real’s third goal was coming his way on brink of half-time after being teed-up by excellent Vinicius cross only for Robertson to block in style. Helped Real torment Liverpool at the back. Getty -
Karim Benzema 8: The prolific French striker had very little sniff of goal but it was his shot - via big deflection off Gomez - that made it 4-2. Brilliant composure to round Alisson and score the fifth. Getty -
Vinicius Junior 9: Two goals for Brazilian – one a brilliant finish from edge of box, the other lucky when countryman Allison booted a clearance off his leg that looped into the net. Saw another shot saved by goalkeeper in chaotic first-half. Booked for time wasting in second. EPA -
SUBS: Nacho (On for Alaba 27’) 8: Early introduction after Alaba’s injury and struggled to adapt to ferocious pace of game after coming on but did well in end helping keep Salah quiet for rest of game. Reuters -
Dani Ceballos (On for Rodrygo 80’) N/A. AP -
Marco Asensio (On for Benzema 86’) N/A. AP Toni Kroos (On for Modric 86’) N/A.
City held an aggregate two-goal advantage until the 180th minute of the semi; PSG had been leading Madrid 2-0 into the last half-hour of the last-16 tie, the cue for some uncertain goalkeeping from the team who were ahead, for a Luka Modric masterclass, for some quick thinking by Vinicius Junior and for goals from Benzema.
You could repeat all those descriptions for what happened at Anfield on Tuesday. A goalkeeping mishap by Alisson led to Vinicius making it 2-2. Benzema’s second-half brace took his tally of goals to 12 from his last six matches in Champions League knockouts. Madrid coach Ancelotti again praised “the veterans" Modric and Benzema - 37 and 35 years old respectively - for "helping us keep cool heads”.
Ancelotti admitted that, on the touchline, he had leaned on memories of Madrid’s remarkable impulse for recovery after Salah capitalised on Courtois’ error. “I thought back a bit to the Manchester City semi-final when we were 2-0 down, and that hopefully the same thing could happen,” said Ancelotti. “It turned out even better. Little by little we established control. I will always have confidence in the quality we have.”
A more distant memory will flit into Ancelotti’s mind in the three weeks leading up to the Madrid leg. History may have been made - Liverpool’s heaviest European defeat ever at Anfield; the biggest winning margin of any Champions League match where the victors had trailed 2-0 - but the Italian’s own personal history offers a powerful warning against any complacency.
Ancelotti was the AC Milan coach when, in Istanbul in 2005, he welcomed his players in at half-time of a European Cup final against Liverpool 3-0 up. Milan went on to concede three second-half goals and lost on penalties.
“We have an advantage but we have to manage the second leg well,” said Ancelotti. “Liverpool are a very competitive team and they hurt us at the beginning. The tie is not over.”
The work of persuading Liverpool’s players, especially those in a shredded defence and a sagging midfield, that the tie still has life will still be a formidable task for Klopp, a manager overseeing the poorest season of his eight in charge.
The collapse against Madrid - “we gave all five goals away,” said Klopp - follows 3-0 losses since the new year against Brighton and Wolverhampton Wanderers and a 3-1 defeat to Brentford. It bookends a Champions League campaign that began with a 4-1 loss to Napoli.
Liverpool sit eighth, outside the Uefa qualifying positions, in the Premier League. Anfield may have a very long wait for its next European fixture and a chance to take away the bitter taste of a humiliation.
