That’s all from me! Thanks for reading, and for your emails. Congratulations to Liverpool, who are in full flight and welcome Manchester City to Anfield on Sunday! Bye!
Jude Bellingham speaks!
From the first minute, they took control of the game. We tried to force the counter-attack a few too many times. They were more up for it than us, which is really disappointing to say. But it’s no disgrace, against probably the best performing team in Europe.
Mbappe’s penalty can happen. The pressure is enormous but it can happen to anyone. The penalty isn’t the reason we lost the game. I know – for sure – that Kylian will produce many more moments which will be key for this club.
David Hytner's report from Anfield
Full-time: Aston Villa 0-0 Juventus
Ben Fisher’s report from Villa Park …
Full-time: Celtic 1-1 Club Brugge.
Ewan Murray’s report from Glasgow …
A roundup of the Champions League results
And this is what it does to the table. Liverpool are top. Madrid are sitting in the final qualification spot, 24th out of 36 teams. Remember, the top eight teams go straight through, with nine-24 going through a playoff round.
There are just three games left: Los Blancos face Atalanta away, Salzburg at home and Brest away. On this showing, Madrid could easily lose the first, should win the second, and it could come down to the last game against Brest!
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 5 | 11 | 15 |
| 2 | Inter Milan | 5 | 7 | 13 |
| 3 | Barcelona | 5 | 13 | 12 |
| 4 | Borussia Dortmund | 5 | 10 | 12 |
| 5 | Atalanta | 5 | 10 | 11 |
| 6 | Bayer Leverkusen | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 7 | Arsenal | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 8 | Monaco | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 10 | Sporting | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| 11 | Brest | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| 12 | Lille | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| 13 | Bayern Munich | 5 | 5 | 9 |
| 14 | Benfica | 5 | 3 | 9 |
| 15 | Atletico Madrid | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| 16 | AC Milan | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| 17 | Man City | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| 18 | PSV | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 19 | Juventus | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| 20 | Celtic | 5 | 0 | 8 |
| 21 | Feyenoord | 5 | -3 | 7 |
| 22 | Club Brugge | 5 | -3 | 7 |
| 23 | Dinamo Zagreb | 5 | -5 | 7 |
| 24 | Real Madrid | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| 25 | PSG | 5 | -3 | 4 |
| 26 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 5 | -4 | 4 |
| 27 | Stuttgart | 5 | -7 | 4 |
| 28 | Sparta Prague | 5 | -9 | 4 |
| 29 | Sturm Graz | 5 | -4 | 3 |
| 30 | Girona | 5 | -5 | 3 |
| 31 | Red Star Belgrade | 5 | -8 | 3 |
| 32 | Red Bull Salzburg | 5 | -12 | 3 |
| 33 | Bologna | 5 | -6 | 1 |
| 34 | RB Leipzig | 5 | -6 | 0 |
| 35 | Slovan Bratislava | 5 | -14 | 0 |
| 36 | Young Boys | 5 | -15 | 0 |
Updated
Some late drama at Villa Park, as Morgan Rogers has a goal chalked off at the death!
Alexis Mac Allister is given the player of the match award. I would personally have given it to Conor Bradley, who kept Mbappé quiet and was also enterprising going forward. It was he that provided the assist for Mac Allister’s opening goal.
Mac Allister will miss the next Champions League game through suspension, after picking up that yellow card in the first half. Liverpool travel to Girona next.
One thing to flag for Liverpool fans: Konaté looks in serious discomfort at the final whistle. Might be cramp but looked like it could have been more than that.
This was a dominant display from Liverpool, who top the league phase table and are the only side to have five wins from five.
A really concerning defeat for Real Madrid, despite their injury crisis. The manner of this performance will worry Ancelotti and Madridistas in general.
Full-time: Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid
Liverpool keep their 100% record in the Champions League! Another defeat for Real Madrid, who face a tricky trip to Atalanta next!
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90+3 min: A sloppy touch from Robertson allows Brahim Diaz to sneak in and nick the ball inside Liverpool’s penalty box. Diaz crashes a shot straight at Kelleher, good save.
90+1 min: Chance for Liverpool’s Diaz, who latches onto a wonderful lofted pass to race through on goal. Diaz tries the dink over Courtois, but the Belgian stands tall and gets a good hand on it.
90 min: Endrick is booked, which is pretty much the only thing the Brazilian has done since coming on.
Four minutes added on.
89 min: Mbappé finally bursts into life, cutting inside and arrowing a shot towards the corner. His shot deflects off Mac Allister and goes behind, but that could have gone anywhere. Kelleher was stranded.
87 min: Bradley, perhaps the man of the match tonght, has gone down. “Hamstring” he mouths to his teammates, indicating an injury. Gomez will come on for Bradley, an interesting choice given Alexander-Arnold is also on the bench.
“One Conor Bradley, there’s only one Conor Bradley”, sing the home crowd as the Northern Irishman makes his way off.
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85 min: “What is the resting heartbeat of Carlo Ancelotti?” ponders krishnamoorthy via email. “He makes Bjorn Borg an agitated spoiled brat in comparison.”
It’s true, the Italian never gets too excited or angry on the surface. But I’m sure he will be inwardly furious here.
83 min: Madrid have been completely overwhelmed in this second half. Mbappé has been relatively anonymous, I think Vini Jr’s place on the left wing is secure when he returns from injury.
Liverpool make another sub: Szoboszlai for Jones, who has been full of energy and composure tonight.
Updated
81 min: Ceballos is booked for dissent, after Fran Garcia crashes into Bradley. Yet another duel won by the Liverpool right back.
79 min: Real Madrid make another change: Endrick for Modric. That’ll be another shift in formation, which stinks of desperation a little. Madrid need something to change drastically, so Ancelotti looks like he is rolling the dice.
Liverpool take a corner short but Robertson whips a brilliant cross into the mixer. Gakpo, completely unmarked and six yards out, heads into the corner. Courtois didn’t even have the chance to dive. Absolutely dreadful defending, but it was an excellent cross and a fine header. Two-nil!
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid (Gakpo 77)
The substitute scores! Is that the game?!
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74 min: More heavy Liverpool pressure – the home side look like the only victors at this point, but how often have we seen Madrid suffer, only to have a sting in their tail. Jones wriggles clear after a nifty threaded pass from Mac Allister, and the Englishman crosses from the byline, but Fran Garcia just beats Salah at the back post.
72 min: Mendy, who has had a bit of a stinker tonight with heavy touches and clumsy defending, is hooked for Fran Garcia, who started for Madrid at the weekend in La Liga. He’s no mug.
Liverpool also make a change: Gakpo for Nunez, who gets a standing ovation.
Updated
Salah misses the penalty!
70 min: Wow! Salah scuffs the ground before the spot kick, and the ball skews left, clipping the outside of the post. Courtois had dived the other way, so the goal was gaping, but Salah couldn’t hit the target!
Updated
Penalty to Liverpool!
68 min: Salah has a free run at Mendy, turns the left back inside out, and draws an obvious foul inside the Madrid box. Mendy was all at sea, and completely clueless as he stuck out a leg to trip Salah.
66 min: Diaz wins the ball, plays a neat one-two with Mbappé and races through on goal, but it’s saved by Kelleher! The flag retrospectively goes up for offside.
64 min: I can’t say this with absolute certainty, but I think Madrid are now playing in a 4-4-1-1. That’s a really narrow midfield of Valverde, Modric, Ceballos and Diaz, with Bellingham in the No 10 and Mbappé up top.
62 min: I have rarely heard Anfield louder, with the fans celebrating that save! Bradley, who is playing out of his skin for Liverpool at right back, wins a free-kick and another huge roar goes up from the home crowd.
Mbappé's penalty is saved by Kelleher!
60 min: A poor penalty to Kelleher’s right, but the keeper does brilliantly to read it and palm it well clear. It was also a good height. Ancelotti shrugs in only the way that he can. A let off for Robertson and Liverpool!
Updated
Penalty to Real Madrid!
58 min: Vazquez has an immediate impact, getting forward from right back and tempting Robertson into a tackle in the box. Replays show that the contact was minimal, but Vazquez needed no encouragement and VAR chooses not to overrule the on-field decision!
56 min: Real Madrid are all over the place, and here’s another blow for them: Camavinga is down and is going to need replacing. Looks like a hamstring injury. Ancelotti will actually make a double change. Camavinga is off for Lucas Vazquez, who will go to right back with Valverde coming into midfield. Ceballos on for Arda Guler, that’s a tactical change.
54 min: Liverpool nearly immediately double their lead! Jones does brilliantly on the left flank, cuts the ball back to Mac Allister, who takes a touch and fires just wide! Courtois was rooted to the spot, he wasn’t getting there, but Mac Allister missed the target, curling his effort around the advancing Rudiger and just wide of Courtois’s left post.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid (Mac Allister 52)
The Reds take a deserved lead! Mac Allister shugs off Modric on the edge of the box, plays a one-two with Bradley and drives into the box. Raúl Asencio comes across to get a block in, but the Argentinian squeezes a shot past the young Spaniard, which catches Courtois cold and rolls into the far corner. Anfield erupts!
Updated
50 min: Real Madrid nearly self-destruct! Liverpool’s press boxes Madrid up against their own byline. Modric just gets the ball away to Rudiger, who dawdles on the ball. It comes loose, and only a tackle from Guler prevents Jones from converting an easy chance!
48 min: Back come Liverpool and from a corner, Jones does considerably better! The new England international plucks the ball out of the sky, beating Mbappé, and pings a goalbound shot towards the corner, only for Camavinga to get a block in. Another corner, from which Courtois claims at the second attempt.
47 min: After some untidy play, the ball breaks kindly to Jones in Madrid’s box but the academy graduate can’t get the ball out of his feet on the penalty spot!
Peeeeeeeeeep! We’re off again.
On Modric, I watched this excellent short film on the Croatian maestro recently. Definitely worth five minutes of your time. I have never seen Modric, usually so reserved, speak to openly and candidly about his war-torn upbringing before.
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Half-time reading:
“Clumsy?”, emails Richard McGahey. “Oh maybe when that kid Modric gets some more experience, he will be able to inflict tactical fouls and feign innocence.”
The latest from Villa Park, right here.
Half-time: Liverpool 0-0 Real Madrid
A half of few clear-cut chances, but an utterly enthralling match.
45 min: Just one minute added on for added time. Güler, not for the first time, tries his luck from range, his shot heading into the Kop a good 20 yards wide of goal.
43 min: Mbappé has really not got himself into the game, although the Frenchman does win the ball from Bradley. Impressively, that the first mistake from the Northern Irishman.
41 min: Liverpool are, however, rather annoyed that Modric escapes a yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Konaté.
40 min: Mac Allister is booked for cynically tap tackling Arda Guler, who was striding forward into empty space inside Liverpool’s half. No complaints from the World Cup winner.
38 min: Liverpool are really purring now! Diaz and Robertson combine nicely with the latter sending a fierce low cross into Madrid’s box. Rudiger, stationed at the near post, does brilliantly to clear the ball, crucially not into his own net! The German celebrates his intervention like a goal. He’s a real leader.
36 min: Nunez bullies Camavinga to win the ball back and sets Jones free on the counter attack for Liverpool. Jones feeds Salah and gets the ball back on the edge of the area, with the Englishman firing three yards over with a first-time shot.
34 min: Anfield is really rocking now.
32 min: Nunez heads inches wide! It’s all happening now. Mac Allister floats a clever ball that looks like it is just too strong for Nunez, who breaks the offside trap, extends his neck muscles and somehow nods the ball back across goal. His header takes Courtois by surprise and almost in slow motion, the ball trickles across the six-yard box and just wide!
Updated
31 min: Conor Bradley, on his first Champions League start for Liverpool, with an absolute crunching slide tackle on Mbappé! Absolutely textbook! Took all of the ball and sent Mbappé flying to earn arguably the biggest cheer of the night.
Updated
30 min: Mendy brings down Salah, 15 yards outside the penalty box out wide. Van Dijk and Konaté trot forward from the back and Rudiger can be seen laughing and playfully pushing Van Dijk before the ball comes in. The German is enjoying himself! Courtois does well to punch the ball clear.
28 min: Madrid are slowly creeping into this game. Camavinga and Modric are showing some nice touches in midfield before Bellingham wins a corner off a frustrated Robertson, from which Arda Guler fires a shot high and wide.
26 min: Diaz looks like he fancies this match up against Valverde, who is a supremely accomplished and versatile player but not a natural right back. Salah, meanwhile, has been very quiet on the right.
24 min: For better or worse, Nunez is right amongst it and so nearly toe-pokes Liverpool into the lead! Mendy scrambles a clearance in Madrid’s box, which deflects kindly into Nunez’s path, but Courtois springs off his line to close the angle and prevent the Liverpool striker from prodding the Reds into the lead. Great save from surely the best goalkeeper in the world.
Updated
22 min: Nunez, on a yellow card remember, drags back Camavinga in a really dangerous position to the right of centre outside Liverpool’s box. Arda Guler is over the free-kick … but knuckleballs it just over. Kelleher wasn’t too worried.
20 min: Wow! Raúl Asencio, the 21-year-old centre back making his Champions League debut tonight, shows a great change of pace to catch and shove Nunez out the way. Looks like a bit of a player, this kid.
Updated
18 min: Nunez ignores an easy pass back to Robertson and Cruyff-turns Bellingham. The home crowd enjoyed that one.
16 min: Another booking! Gravenberch goes into the book for dissent, as the Dutchman questions the referee after Van Dijk shoulder barges Mbappé to the ground.
14 min: Bellingham responds by putting himself about in central midfield, winning a free kick and a corner in quick succession. Those late runs into the box can be so dangerous if he is not tracked by one of Gravenberch, Mac Allister or Jones.
12 min: The corner is cleared. Liverpool fans are booing Bellingham. Hmmm.
Updated
11 min: Madrid are doubling up on Salah, who wins a corner. As the ball dribbles out, Nunez and Raúl Asencio clash off the ball, with both having a bit of handbags in the penalty box. Nunez goes down dramatically (and a little embarrassingly), replays show there wasn’t much in it. However, both Nunez and Raúl Asencio are booked for their troubles. Silly.
Updated
8 min: This has been a poor start from Madrid, who have not yet had a sustained period of possession.
6 min: Sloppy ball from Van Dijk gifts possession to Arda Güler in an advanced position. The Turkish player drives at Robertson, who expertly nicks and shields the ball to stifle the danger. Good defending from the Scot, but an alarming pass from Van Dijk.
Off the line!
4 min: Real Madrid clear off the ball off the line! Mbappé has hit pocket picked by Salah in midfield and Nunez races away on the counter attack. The Uruguayan exchanges passes with Salah and goes through on goal! From an angle, Nunez fires across goal, Courtois tips it back into play and Raúl Asencio nearly toepokes the ball into his own net, but gets back to hack it clear just in time! The ball was right on the line! Raúl Asencio did very well to recover after an initial clumsy touch. It remains goalless but Anfield is bouncing!
Updated
2 min: Nervy opening touches from both sides. Up front for Madrid, Mbappé is indeed playing on the left, Brahim Diaz in the middle (what a gut punch that is for Endrick) and Arda Guler on the right.
Peeeeeeeeep! We’re underway at Anfied.
You’ll Never Walk Alone rings around Anfield. Carlo Ancelotti strides out to the dugout, his eyebrow cocked. Andy Robertson picks his nose in the tunnel. This is football heritage.
Arne Slot speaks!
Salah has been in the media his whole career. He’s used to this. If he doesn’t play a good game tonight, which I don’t expect, it’s because of Real Madrid, not the things he has said.
If you are catching up on Salah’s contract situation and his outspoken comments, this is worth a read from Andy Hunter.
A euro for the thoughts of Endrick, who played just four minutes at the weekend despite Madrid’s injury problems. The teenage superstar has started just one game since September, a 1-0 defeat to Lille. The Brazilian is on the bench tonight.
Should flag that Bellingham has some heavy strapping on his left knee. Madrid could really do without another injury.
The players are out on the pitch, warming up.
Given the history of Liverpool and Real Madrid and their form in recent years, is this the biggest game in European club football?
This is not the only game tonight, of course. Join John Brewin for the tantalising encounter that is Villa v Juventus.
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Gareth Bale is a pundit tonight for TNT. Presenter Laura Woods points out that the Welshman’s record at Anfield is not the best:
“I won when it mattered”, replies Bale.
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Two changes for Slot since Liverpool’s win over Southampton. Diaz comes in for Gakpo and Mac Allister replaces Szoboszlai. Trent Alexander-Arnold is back on the bench after recovering from his injury troubles. Conor Bradley is tasked with marking Kylian Mbappé.
What a huge game for Raúl Asencio at centre back for Real Madrid. The 21-year-old makes just his third senior appearance and his first game in the Champions League. There are two changes from the side that beat Leganés: Diaz comes in for the injured Vini Jr, and the evergreen Modric replaces Ceballos.
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The teams!
Liverpool: Kelleher, Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Jones, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Subs: Jaros, Davies, Gomez, Endo, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Elliott, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Morton.
Real Madrid: Courtois, Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy, Modric, Camavinga, Bellingham, Guler, Mbappe, Diaz.
Subs: Lunin, Gonzalez, Endrick, Lucas, Vallejo, Ceballos, Garcia, García, Aguado, de Llanos, Yanez.
Referee: Francois Letexier (France)
Liverpool enquired into signing Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund in 2023, before deciding they could not afford the overall package to sign him. Bellingham has been talking this week about that interest, and his eventual decision to join Madrid.
[Signing for Liverpool] probably wasn’t as close as a lot of the media made out. I had conversations with a few clubs when leaving Borussia Dortmund and making that decision. They gave me permission to speak to a few clubs. All the clubs I spoke to were very respectful of me and my family which was something I really respected. But when Real Madrid come knocking on the door it shakes the whole house. It’s hard not to accept. It’s not a matter the other teams weren’t good or were bad when I spoke to them, it’s just that Real Madrid are on a different level.
Guess who’s back. Back again.
With Vini Jr injured at Leganés, Mbappé switched to his preferred position on the left and the Frenchman will almost certainly occupy the same position this evening. Here’s Sid Lowe to explain a little more.
“If ever a game needed a moniker Clash of the Titans, this would be it,” emails krishnamoorthy. “Real have not been winning of late, it is difficult even to type this statement, which is absurd. The losing streak had to end and what better platform to perform than in the tournament that they own. But then we thought the same about City last night. Real is no City and Liverpool is certainly no Feynoord. I expect a 2-2 draw”.
I also think a score draw is a decent shout, although Madrid’s form and absentees mean Liverpool are favourites tonight.
It’s also worth noting that after the heavy back-to-back defeats against Barcelona and Milan, Madrid have significantly improved of late after Carlo Ancelotti made some changes. Following the 3-1 home defeat to Milan, the Italian announced “We have evaluated the situation with the players. We think we have found the solution. But we need to put that into practice. That is what we are hoping to do, to play differently.”
Since then, Madrid have won 4-0 and 3-0 in La Liga, against Osasuna and Leganés. Liverpool those teams are not, but the results are certainly encouraging.
Here, from the archives just before the 2022 Champions League final (won 1-0 by Madrid), is a more detailed history of the meeting of these two teams.
The last time Madrid travelled to Anfield was in February last year, when Madrid trounced Liverpool 5-2 in the round of 16, despite going 2-0 down. The injured Vini Jr and Karim Benzema, now departed to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia of course, ran the show that night.
Preamble
As games of association football go, they don’t come much bigger than this. The most successful British club in Europe, at one of the most storied grounds in world football, facing off against the most successful European side of all time, with over twice as many European Cups/Champions League titles than the next challenger (Milan). Woof.
Liverpool and Real Madrid have a bit of history and have faced each other six times (across four ties) in the last seven Champions League campaigns, including the 2018 and 2022 finals, with the Spanish side unbeaten across that period. That has got to sting if you are wearing red. The memories of Salah v Ramos, Gareth Bale’s bicycle kick v Loris Karius and Vini Jr/Karim Benzema turning on the style are still raw.
But this is a new era for Liverpool, and a particularly sticky period for Real Madrid. Liverpool have a 100% European record in the new format, while Madrid are currently 21st of the 36 teams at the half-way point of the league phase (formerly known as the group stage). Lose at Anfield, and there is the small possibility that they might not make the top 24 and qualify for the next round.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inter Milan | 5 | 7 | 13 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 5 | 13 | 12 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 4 | 9 | 12 |
| 4 | Atalanta | 5 | 10 | 11 |
| 5 | Bayer Leverkusen | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 6 | Monaco | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| 7 | Arsenal | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 8 | Sporting | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| 9 | Brest | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| 10 | Borussia Dortmund | 4 | 7 | 9 |
| 11 | Bayern Munich | 5 | 5 | 9 |
| 12 | Aston Villa | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 13 | Atletico Madrid | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| 14 | AC Milan | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| 15 | Man City | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| 16 | Juventus | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| 17 | Lille | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 18 | Celtic | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| 19 | Dinamo Zagreb | 4 | -2 | 7 |
| 20 | Feyenoord | 5 | -3 | 7 |
| 21 | Real Madrid | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 22 | Benfica | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 23 | Club Brugge | 4 | -3 | 6 |
| 24 | PSV | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| 25 | Stuttgart | 5 | -3 | 5 |
| 26 | PSG | 5 | -3 | 4 |
| 27 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 4 | -3 | 4 |
| 28 | Girona | 5 | -4 | 4 |
| 29 | Sparta Prague | 5 | -9 | 4 |
| 30 | Red Bull Salzburg | 5 | -12 | 3 |
| 31 | Sturm Graz | 5 | -5 | 1 |
| 32 | Bologna | 4 | -5 | 1 |
| 33 | Red Star Belgrade | 5 | -12 | 1 |
| 34 | RB Leipzig | 5 | -6 | 0 |
| 35 | Slovan Bratislava | 5 | -14 | 0 |
| 36 | Young Boys | 5 | -15 | 0 |
Moreover, Kylian Mbappé has not yet found his form as a central striker, Jude Bellingham has also not hit the heights of last season after being shunted out on the right and Madrid’s injury list is lenghty: Vini Jr out for a few weeks, while key players Rodrygo, Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vázquez, Aurélien Tchouaméni and David Alaba are also sidelined.
Liverpool, however, are flying (despite the distraction of Mo Salah’s contract situation) under Arne Slot. There has rarely been a better time to face the famous team in white.
Kick-off: 8pm GMT.
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