Real Madrid inflicted Liverpool's heaviest ever European home defeat during this evening's Champions League last-16 first leg, running out 5-2 winners on a remarkable night at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp's side raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 15 minutes to give themselves a dream start to the contest, with Darwin Nunez flicking a smart finish past Thibaut Courtois before the Madrid keeper gifted Mohamed Salah a second.
However, Madrid launched their latest famous Champions League comeback just seven minutes later when Vinicius Junior whipped an unerring low finish into the bottom far corner.
Alisson Becker then emulated his opposite number Courtois with a howler that saw Vinicius unwittingly level the scores before half time, and within two minutes of the restart they were ahead courtesy of Eder Militao.
Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema then piled the misery on the hosts, with his deflected shot off Joe Gomez seeing Madrid become the first visiting team to ever score four times at Anfield in a European game, before extending that record with his second of the night after 67 minutes.
The result leaves Klopp's side facing a mountain to climb when they return to the Bernabeu for the second leg on March 15, with this their latest in a growing list of defeats to Real Madrid, who also beat them in the final of this competition last season.
HIGHLIGHTS
4th min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL 1-0 REAL MADRID Darwin Nunez opens the scoring early on, and in some style too. Mohamed Salah picks the ball up on the right flank and cuts inside before threading a brilliant ball into the box for Nunez, who provides an audacious flick past Thibaut Courtois to give Liverpool a dream start.
LIVERPOOL HAVE LIFT-OFF! 💥
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 21, 2023
That is just cheeky from Darwin Núñez! 👏#UCL pic.twitter.com/spapaQcfbZ
14th min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-0 REAL MADRID Liverpool have their second, and while the first was from fine play from the hosts, this is an absolute gift from Courtois. The Madrid keeper takes his time with the ball after it was played back to him, but it then hits his knee to bounce straight to Salah, who duly punishes him.
ANFIELD ERUPTS AGAIN! 📢
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 21, 2023
Mo Salah pounces on a huge error from Thibaut Courtois 🇪🇬#UCL pic.twitter.com/zhMGQhSK9K
21st min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-1 REAL MADRID Vinicius Junior was Real Madrid's hero in the final last season, and he has dragged his side back into this one again. The Brazilian picks the ball up inside the box and is afforded the half-yard of space he needs to whip a brilliant finish into the low far corner past a helpless Alisson Becker.
WHAT A GOAL THAT IS! 🙌
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 21, 2023
Vinícius Júnior with a whip around the Alisson ✨
What a game we have here 💥#UCL pic.twitter.com/7wXE9j2ppk
24th min: Liverpool almost restore their two-goal advantage straight away as again they get in down the right flank. The ball is played into Salah inside the box and he turns before seeing his shot smothered. It bounces out to Nunez, but he cannot squeeze it over the line and Eder Militao eventually hacks it away as Real Madrid survive by the skin of their teeth.
31st min: Vinicius looks to repeat the feat with another curling low effort into the far corner after the ball drops to him inside the box, but while the effort is good again, this time Alisson gets a big hand on it to push it away.
36th min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-2 REAL MADRID Real Madrid are level, and this time it is Alisson's turn to produce a costly howler! Joe Gomez gives the ball back to Alisson, who tries to pass it back to Gomez but instead hits it straight at Vinicius, and it bounces off his compatriot and into the empty net. Remarkable scenes at Anfield!
WHAT A FIRST HALF THIS HAS BEEN 🤯
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 21, 2023
It's Alisson who has now made the mistake for Vinícius Júnior to pounce! #UCL pic.twitter.com/4H1tnBKy2z
45+1 min: What a tackle this is from Andrew Robertson, who denies Rodrygo a certain goal on the counter-attack! Courtois's throw releases Vinicius and he streaks down the left channel before playing a ball across the face of goal which looks destined to be tucked home by Rodrygo, only for Robertson to produce a brilliant last-ditch interception.
47th min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-3 REAL MADRID Real Madrid's comeback is complete! Vinicius win a free kick on the left flank and Luka Modric fires it into the middle, where Militao has darted to the near post past some statuesque defending and powers a header past Alisson. Madrid made miraculous comebacks time after time on their way to the trophy last season, and they have done it again here!
55th min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-4 REAL MADRID Real Madrid have a fourth goal at Anfield, and this time it is a rotten piece of luck for Liverpool! Karim Benzema exchanges passes with Rodrygo before getting a shot away which deflects off Joe Gomez and past a helpless Alisson. From 2-0 up inside 15 minutes, Liverpool now find themselves two goals down!
67th min: GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-5 REAL MADRID Make that five for Madrid - the first time that has ever happened to Liverpool at home in European competition! Fabinho loses the ball in midfield and Modric bursts forward before giving it to Vinicius, who in turns plays it for Benzema. The Frenchman then takes the ball around Alisson and places his finish into the top corner to silence Anfield even further.
THAT IS SILKY! 🤯
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 21, 2023
Karim Benzema is the coolest man on the planet 🥶
What a goal! 💥#UCL pic.twitter.com/FFLHjcpMxU
70th min: Chance for Liverpool to pull one goal back and give themselves some hope in the second leg as Roberto Firmino meets a corner, but he cannot get enough on his header to truly test Courtois.
MAN OF THE MATCH - VINICIUS JUNIOR
© Reuters
After 15 minutes, you would have got long odds for this award to go to a Real Madrid player, but the Spanish giants grew into the game and ultimately ended up bossing every area of the field once they had embarked on their comeback.
The one player who looked dangerous throughout - even when Liverpool made their blistering start - was Vinicius Junior, who once again underlined his importance to this Madrid team with two goals.
The first of those was a brilliant finish and, while the second was lucky as Alisson's errant pass bounced off him and in, he was also heavily involved in the third goal by winning the free kick and the fifth by teeing up Benzema.
Vinicius was the match-winner in the final between these two sides in Paris last season, and he put on another memorable Champions League showcase here.
STANDOUT MOMENT
© Reuters
Take your pick. This was an incredibly action-packed match with incidents galore, from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Either of the howlers - from Courtois and Alisson - could take this award, while Vinicius's first and Benzema's second also deserve mentions for being really well-taken goals.
However, we have gone for the very first big moment of the match - Nunez's opening goal after only four minutes, back when it looked like being an unforgettable European night at Anfield for all the right reasons.
While most of the other goals were born from mistakes, this one was down to incisive play as Salah picked out Nunez's run with a precise pass, and the Uruguayan added the magic touch with his flicked finish.
BEST STATS
18 - Stefan Bajcetic is the youngest player (18 years, 122 days) to start a @ChampionsLeague match for Liverpool. Talent.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 21, 2023
3:10 - Darwin Núñez's goal after three minutes and 10 seconds was Liverpool's quickest ever UEFA Champions League goal scored at Anfield. Fortress.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 21, 2023
Our Egyptian king. Our European king 👑
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 21, 2023
Simply incredible, @MoSalah ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aaYGMOknIZ
44 - Mohamed Salah has scored 44 goals in the UEFA Champions League, joint-highest tally for an African player in the competition's history (level with Didier Drogba). Pharaoh. #LFCREAL pic.twitter.com/RYQRtnAXub
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) February 21, 2023
22 - Aged 22 years and 224 days, Vinícius Júnior is the youngest visiting player to score twice against Liverpool at Anfield in major European competition since Johan Cruyff in December 1966 for Ajax in the European Cup (19y 233d). Historic. pic.twitter.com/II8AHGoRCO
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 21, 2023
8 - Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is the first player to have both scored and assisted in as many as eight different games for an English club in UEFA Champions League history. Unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/Mm9EgIdRuS
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 21, 2023
5 - Real Madrid are only the second team in the history of European competitions to score five goals in a single match against Liverpool, after Ajax in December 1966 in the European Cup (5-1). Impressive. #UCL https://t.co/pjZeBqRQmn
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) February 21, 2023
6 - Karim Benzema has scored more goals against Liverpool than any other player in European Cup/Champions League history with six, scoring four of them at Anfield, also the most by an away player in the competition. Brilliant. #UCL pic.twitter.com/NBiQ3EeM1H
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) February 21, 2023
2-0 - Liverpool are the first team in UEFA Champions League history to take a 2-0 lead but then lose the game by a three-goal margin. Dangerous.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 21, 2023
MATCH STATS
Possession: Liverpool 52%-48% Real Madrid
Shots: Liverpool 9-9 Real Madrid
Shots on target: Liverpool 5-6 Real Madrid
Corners: Liverpool 4-3 Real Madrid
Fouls: Liverpool 9-9 Real Madrid
LINEUPS
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez (Matip 73'), Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson (Milner 73'), Fabinho, Bajcetic (Elliott 85'); Salah, Gakpo (Firmino 64'), Nunez (Jota 64')
REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba (Nacho 27'); Valverde, Camavinga, Modric (Kroos 87'); Rodrygo (Ceballos 81'), Benzema (Asensio 87'), Vinicius
Barney Corkhill
