Real Madrid and Liverpool served up a Champions League tie for the ages as the holders came back from 2-0 down to crush Jurgen Klopp’s side 5-2 in the first leg of their last-16 tie at Anfield.
Renewing hostilities nine months on from last season’s final, it was goalkeeping gaffes galore in the first half.
This was as Vinicius Junior’s brace cancelled out quickfire strikes from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah as Liverpool’s dream start turned into a nightmare – one which they would not wake up from.
Carlo Ancelotti’s champions gave themselves a seemingly unassailable cushion in the second half through Eder Militao and Karim Benzema’s double, and the final blow of the whistle could not come quickly enough for Liverpool, who need to score four goals without reply at the Bernabeu on March 8 to knock out the 14-time champions.
Prior to kickoff, Liverpool fans made their feelings towards UEFA well and truly known, as the Champions League anthem was met with a chorus of boos following the disgraceful scenes outside the Stade de France at last year’s final.
Animosity turned to elation with only four minutes gone at Anfield, though, as Salah was allowed to dart infield from the left, and his ball into the box was perfectly weighted for Nunez to beat Thibaut Courtois with an audacious backheel flick.
Nunez’s cheeky opener was Liverpool’s quickest-ever goal at home in the Champions League at three minutes and 10 seconds, and it was all Liverpool in the opening 10 minutes as Real Madrid seemingly conserved their energy, but they were nearly made to pay for their passiveness in the 12th minute.
Cody Gakpo held off Eduardo Camavinga with ease inside his own half and fed Salah, who weaved through a sea of white shirts into the box but disappointingly sent a tame effort wide.
However, the Egyptian would receive a glorious gift just two minutes later, as Courtois horribly mis-controlled a backpass – the ball bobbling off his knee – and Salah was on hand to lash home from close range to become Liverpool’s highest-ever goalscorer in European football with 42 strikes.
Salah kept his celebrations to a minimum out of sympathy for a dejected Courtois, but the Belgian breathed a slight sigh of relief in the 21st minute, as Vinicius cut inside from the left before unleashing a thunderous strike into the far corner.
A chaotic goalmouth scramble in the 25th minute – in which Militao just about managed to hook the ball away – would typify the opening exchanges, but David Alaba suffered an injury in the process and had to be replaced by Nacho Fernandez.
The Blancos tails were up, though, and Alisson Becker stuck out a strong hand to keep out what would have otherwise been a carbon copy of Vinicius’s opener in the 31st minute, but the Reds number one would soon rival Courtois for howler of the night.
With 36 minutes gone, Federico Valverde’s long ball to Vinicius was cut out by Joe Gomez, who recycled the ball to Alisson. The Brazilian tried to play out from the back, but his dreadful attempt at a pass hit Vinicius’s boot and looped into the back of the net.
There would be time for Andrew Robertson to make a goal-saving challenge at the back post just before the end of an exhilarating first half, with the Scotsman turning Vinicius’s ball behind to prevent Rodrygo from scoring a tap-in.
Fans were given 15 minutes and only 15 minutes to catch their breath before the second half started in a similar vein to the first, as Real completed the turnaround when Militao headed home from Luka Modric’s free kick in the 47th minute.
If Anfield had not been silenced thanks to Militao’s header, the atmosphere was extremely subdued in the 55th minute, as Benzema’s unthreatening effort took a significant deflection off Gomez to wrongfoot Alisson and increase Real’s tally to four.
Having developed the taste for blood, Real Madrid were in no position to grant Liverpool any mercy, and Benzema made it five for the holders in the 67th minute – latching onto Vinicius’s pass following a quick break and leaving Alisson on his backside before curling home.
Any further attempts from Liverpool to reduce the deficit were met with staunch rearguard action, as Real Madrid travelled home with a three-goal lead at half-time in the tie – inflicting the Reds’ heaviest-ever home European defeat in the process.
Liverpool will endeavour to consign tonight’s defeat to history when they return to Premier League action away to Crystal Palace on Saturday, while Real have the small matter of a Madrid derby with Atletico Madrid in La Liga in four days’ time.
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