It was yet another night like any for Real Madrid as the Royal White club from the Spanish capital thrashed Liverpool 5-2 in their away leg of the Round of 16 tie in the UEFA Champions League. Interestingly, this is the third straight win for Real Madrid against Liverpool. They met in the final of the competition’s last edition, where Los Blancos emerged victorious by one goal to none to win their 14th European Cup. In 2020/21, the two teams met at the quarter-final stages of the competition, where Real handed the Reds a 3-1 defeat over the two legs.
The Reds were thoroughly outclassed as the team from Spain took a three-goal advantage back home. Madrid’s talisman Karim Benzema netted two while centre-back Eder Militao headed one off an excellent Luka Modric delivery. The electric 22-year-old Brazilian Vinicius Junior was adjudged the ‘most valuable player’ (MVP) of the match for his dazzling display of two goals and one assist. As such, the tie seemed over for Jürgen Klopp’s side; the manager looked out of ideas while addressing the press after the game.
Here’s a video of Klopp from the post-game press conference:
Jurgen Klopp after being hammered by Real Madrid. Especially by Benzema and Vinicius ?? Man is tired of #HalaMadrid #LIVRMA pic.twitter.com/iD7OJdCnCV
— Matthew John Alex ? (@Realfinebobo_) February 21, 2023
Real Madrid went 2-0 down before bouncing back to a handsome win at Anfield
Klopp summarized what Liverpool players must have felt on the pitch playing against the true European powerhouses. Real Madrid always found someone or the other to surprise the Reds with their exceptional individual quality, be it in the staggering front-three or even the makeshift left-back Nacho Fernandez. The Spanish team gelled well in their every move. However, that was not the case at the start of the game.
Darwin Nunez fired the Reds ahead within the opening four minutes before Mohammed Salah profited from a goalkeeping mistake by Thibaut Courtois to put the hosts 2-0 up within 14 minutes. However, Real Madrid looked calm and collected under pressure like they always do. Vinicius Junior found inspiration to try a snapshot that few into the net out of nothing, getting the first goal back for the champions. Up next, he chased the ball off a counter that Alisson Becker failed to clear, gifting Real the equalizing goal in the second goalkeeping mistake of the game. It was all a smooth sail for Real Madrid from there as they added three more goals in the second half making European comebacks look ridiculously easy like they always do.
