Liverpool failed to recreate glorious European nights of the past as reigning champions Real Madrid inflicted a devastating 3-0 defeat upon the Anfield club in the third round of fixtures in the Champions League group stage. A spirited early Liverpudlian showing was quickly dissolved by the furious might of Carlo Ancelotti’s attack force leaving the Reds facing uncertainty about their European credentials, whereas the Galacticos once again showed the continent that they are just as potent an outfit as they were in last year’s victorious campaign.
The build-up to the match was a blend of nervous and excitement for the home team, though the cocktail has a sour taste to it after a combination of a characteristically sloppy showings from Liverpool’s defence over the weekend at QPR, and the news that Daniel Sturridge had rejoined the injury list for a further 2-4 weeks. The England striker, seemingly made from wet tissue in recent weeks, returned to the sidelines with Mamadou Sakho and Jon Flanagan.
Brendan Rodgers would surely have been hoping that, as is often the case in these types of encounters, the figurative form book is tossed out the window because his team’s form in the Champions League thus far is a good reference for how their overall form is; erratic and error-laden. It took a cool, last-minute penalty from Steven Gerrard to ensure the Reds picked up their only win in the competition so far against Ludogorets, before a lacklustre performance at Basel saw the 5-time champions succumb to a dismal 1-0 loss.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, will have seen Liverpool’s defensive insecurities in recent times and the likes of Ronaldo, Toni Kroos, amongst a host of other incredible attacking talents will have been itching to run at the frail back line. Despite this, the Spanish giants will have been devastated to hear that former Premier League menace Gareth Bale would miss the game with an abdominal muscle injury alongside fellow CL final goal scorer Sergio Ramos, who is plagued with a calf issue.
The previously mentioned Ronaldo is always on fire, but recently petrol has been poured on the fire as the Ballon D’or winner has scored an unreal 19 goals already this season before this match. The team as a whole aren’t going too badly either, as Los Blancos have picked up 6 out of 6 points so far in the Champions League; though a convincing win over Basel wasn’t replicated away at Ludogorets last time out, as they had to come from behind to win 2-1.
Liverpool fielded a team not too unrecognisable from the 3-2 win at QPR, though 3 changes were made. Alberto Moreno, a La Liga player last season, replaced fellow Spaniard Jose Enrique while Joe Allen came in for Emre Can in midfield. The final change was the re-introduction of key weekend performer, Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian took the place of Adam Lallana at the head of the midfield. Glen Johnson kept his place over Atleti loanee Javier Manquillo at right back.
Ancelotti also made three changes, as Nacho was removed from the team for young Frenchman Raphael Varane. Former Liverpool full back Alvaro Arbeloa was put back in the team for his Anfield return, with Daniel Carvajal making room for him. Finally, Karim Benzema replaced Javier Hernandez up front; the latter here missing the chance to face up against his former arch rivals.
The opening exchanges were largely dominated by the home team, to a back drop of typically passionate support in these kinds of matches. The efforts of both the fans and players were not rewarded, however. Captain Steven Gerard came closest for Liverpool with a deflected strike from range dipping awkwardly for Iker Casillas, but the veteran ‘keeper parried the shot away before Ronaldo, similarly, tested Mignolet as he cut in from the right. The Belgian held on to the strong shot though.
Heartbreakingly though, Liverpool were punished for not continuing their high intensity play for longer than twenty minutes. The Reds backed off, allowing James to chip a pass into the lethal Ronaldo, who lofted a neat finish into the far corner in front of the travelling fans. The 23rd minute goal was Ronaldo’s first goal at Anfield; a huge weight off the danger man’s shoulders.
Heartbreak turned to despair just 7 minutes later. Pinpoint passer Toni Kroos expertly found room for a cross to the far post, where Karim Benzema lurked in wait. Rising above the little competition he had for the ball, he managed to direct his headed effort over the helpless Mignolet and into the same corner as Ronaldo did. Liverpool’s ambitious dream of overcoming the Euro powerhouses was vanishing. Quickly.
There was a slight suspicion of Liverpool feeling their way back into the seemingly dead contest in the time between the Benzema goal and the fatal 41st minute. Coutinho was certainly a catalyst for some promising play. His pressing allowed Liverpool to regain possession and threaten a few break away attacks but all of them lacked the final ball; Mario Balotelli was a desolate figure in the box. This lack of attacking awareness proved costly, again. With only 4 minutes to go until half time, a whipped corner, rather predictably, caused chaos in the Liverpool box. A series of fumbles gifted the ball to Benzema yet again, and he tapped home the third and final Madrid goal, signalling the end of the match as a two-way contest.
To Liverpool’s credit, they pushed on to earn some pride, as they carved out two notable chances before the interval. Joe Allen nearly converted a driven cross, but his effort curled just past the far post before Coutinho magically made room for a 30 yard strike which pounded the upright, with Casillas reaching out in vain. The outcome may have been different had that moment of brilliance led to a goal, the outcome could possibly have been in doubt.
Nevertheless, the home team trudged back into the dressing room 3-0 down at the break, with Balotelli controversially swapping shirts with Pepe before heading down the tunnel.
Unsurprisingly, the Italian striker did not re-appear for the second half. Adam Lallana came on in his place, with Sterling ushered into a striking position in a change of tact from Rodgers. The summer signing made a positive impact, earning Liverpool a succession of corners early in the new half, though all of which failed to threaten Casillas.
Despite this, it was Real Madrid who had the best chance of changing the score line in the second half when Ronaldo benefitted from a mixture of typically poor Liverpool defending and quick fire movement in and around the opposition box from the away side. The ball fell nicely to the Portuguese goal scorer, but he failed to convert from point blank range due to quick reactions from Mignolet. The missed chance represented the last significant opportunity of the game, before the man who missed received a warm and earned ovation from his once rival fans as he departed the pitch.
Ronaldo’s departure signalled the end of another remarkable performance from arguably the greatest player in the world. He blew away Liverpudlian doubters by notching his first goal at Anfield in fantastic style, while causing constant havoc in the Liverpool half. In addition, Ronaldo did his defensive duties by regularly tracking back to get an important head on Liverpool’s corners. As a result, he was many people’s Man of the Match, though it would be unfair on his team mates to single him out as a star performer. Benzema will feel as though he deserves a say in the man of the match award, after a first half brace ensured victory for his team. James and Kroos played providers all night, so the midfield pair can also feel proud of their away day performance.
All in all, Real did what was expected of them, and perhaps a little bit more; they arrived, got their needed goals, and coasted through the latter stages. Liverpool threatened early on and in the second half, but they just didn’t do enough to get a clear sight of the opposition goal, allowing for their defensive shortcomings to play a vital role in proceedings, as it so often has this season.
The Spaniards can now start preparations for this weekend’s ‘El Classico’ against Barcelona, safe in the knowledge that their European progression is nigh on complete as they stand atop the group, 6 points ahead of everyone else. As for Rodgers’ Liverpool, it’s a case of back to the drawing board. They have a lot to work on, with a handful of key players in need of bigger and better performances in the coming weeks. It’s only two weeks before these two giants go head-to-head again…
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