Liverpool

LIVERPOOL, England, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Holders Real Madrid produced a stunning comeback from two goals down to earn a devastating 5-2 victory at a ...

Liverpool host Real Madrid in the first leg of their huge UEFA Champions League last 16 tie as a repeat of the 2021-22 final is a mouthwatering prospect.

Liverpool and Real Madrid meet in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie today — just nine months after the Spanish side beat Jurgen Klopp's ...

Liverpool suffer their heaviest-ever home defeat in Europe. Hala Madrid!" One goal can change a game." I'm not sure it was a foul but we didn't defend it well enough and then after that there were a few balls we could do better and the game went away from us." — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) We were calm mentally and when we are on the rise we play well. I want to praise Rodrygo because he did incredible work up and down the pitch producing just what I'd asked of him." "Liverpool is a great team which made us suffer in the first half so I'd say that, unfortunately, this tie isn't finished. "Obviously we didn't expect to start like we did but at 2-0 down I thought about the City away leg last year in the hope that we could do the same - but it turned out even better. "This is only the first part of a knockout tie. [Karim Benzema](https://theathletic.com/football/player/karim-benzema-hwC1BNv4TpEYmSmb/) added two more goals as the visitors ran away with the match, giving Liverpool a mountain to climb in the second leg in Spain on March 15. [Real Madrid](https://theathletic.com/football/team/real-madrid/) came from two goals down to dominate [Liverpool](https://theathletic.com/football/team/liverpool/) 5-2 in the first leg of their [Champions League](https://theathletic.com/football/champions-league/) round of 16 clash at Anfield.

Who to watch: OK; I'm going to cheat a bit. Trent Alexander Arnold vs Vinicius is the big battle on the pitch, tonight, as the winger is looking in fine form in ...

Toni Kroos was ruled out of this game after feeling ill all week but now the German is feeling better and has flown out to Liverpool to be a part of the squad! Ferland Mendy is the long-term absentee with a thigh injury. Darwin is the doubt for today. The last time these two sets of lads played against each other was the Champions League final last season! The German's absence is huge for Madrid, who rely heavily on the midfielder to start their attacks from deep. Find out all about him in the piece above.

A repeat of the 2022 Champions League final headlines this week's Champions League fixtures on CBS and Paramount+ as Liverpool bid for revenge not just for ...

Still there are plenty of quality options to step into the fray, whether it be Eduardo Camavinga or perhaps Federico Valverde playing in the midfield three and Rodrygo joining an attack that will include Karim Benzema. They may well need their best player to create and score if they are to get through this tricky tie. "From all the possible scenarios, apart from being absolutely nothing; that's not the case. Liverpool: It perhaps reflects the one step forward, one step back nature of Liverpool's season that, having found the net in the Premier League for the first time since November, Darwin Nunez suffered a knock to his shoulder that makes him a doubt for the first leg at Anfield. [Paramount+](https://www.paramountplus.com/?cbscidmt=sports&ftag=PPM-03-10aie0i) At their best they are good enough to qualify by winning the competition outright but it has been a long while since they have enjoyed a consistent run of peak performances. Equally Liverpool may be able to cope without the Uruguayan now that Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino are returning to consideration. [CBS Sports Network](https://cbs-sports.app.link/ny3ywBQBBjb)and [Paramount+](https://www.paramountplus.com/?cbscidmt=sports&ftag=PPM-03-10aie0i) On both occasions, Vinicius Junior has been the English side's tormentor in chief and it is an ill omen for Liverpool that the Brazilian has found a rich vein of form in recent weeks. [Paramount+](https://www.paramountplus.com/?cbscidmt=sports&ftag=PPM-03-10aie0e) "There's a chance," Klopp told his pre-match press conference. Equally, Liverpool might be at the start of an upswing in fortunes after beating Everton and Newcastle last week, Darwin Nunez finding the net and Trent Alexander-Arnold laying on two assists as Jurgen Klopp's side boosted their chances of getting back to next season's Champions League.

Vinicius Jr's genius, goalkeeping blunders and Liverpool's loss of shape - all the big talking points analysed at Anfield.

[Jordan Henderson](https://theathletic.com/football/player/jordan-henderson-y1RJ8PecCTSQJUtq/) and [Fabinho](https://theathletic.com/football/player/fabinho-B4oErnzfMBHwkivn/) looked keen to help out Alexander Arnold and Gomez in the first half. In the aftermath of the final, they tried to pin the blame on ticketless Liverpool supporters. Salah’s 13th Champions League assist for Liverpool now puts him ahead of any player in the club’s history. But there was still no excuse for the awful first touch with his foot, then even worse with his knee, which teed up [Mohamed Salah](https://theathletic.com/football/player/mohamed-salah-NuvaNMBabDgYuJtn/) for a simple finish. Just before half-time, he almost set up [Rodrygo](https://theathletic.com/football/player/rodrygo-JS0gfsSSMTJWAReh/) for 3-2, and soon after the break, he won the free kick from which Modric picked out Militao to put Madrid ahead. His first big breakout European night came when he exploited the space behind and inside Trent Alexander Arnold to score two excellent goals in their 2020-21 Champions League quarter-final first leg. Then it was his backpass to [Alisson](https://theathletic.com/football/player/alisson-tnsx3VLvny2hiY7b/) which initially looked like a good recovery until the Brazilian goalkeeper whacked the ball off Vinicius Jr and it rebounded into the gaping net. Vinicius Jr did not make a super intense effort to block, and indeed had half-turned by the time the ball was hit straight at him. Gomez may have had a game to forget but he at least escaped any blame for the evening’s second goalkeeping disaster. Gomez, along with his team-mates, looked static and failed to attack the ball as Militao flew towards it. [Joe Gomez](https://theathletic.com/football/player/joe-gomez-7Uafx5wupn7ylnbb/) had a truly torrid night at Anfield. Once Madrid were 3-2 ahead, their ability to counter-attack against Liverpool was clinical and were key components in both of Benzema’s finishes.

That Real Madrid delivered another memorable Champions League victory was no surprise. It was the manner of Liverpool's defeat that spoke volumes.

It is in the intensity of its press, somehow diluted and dimmed. Liverpool, suddenly, looked to be what it has been for much of the season: a mid-table Premier League team caught in the throes of an awkward, jarring transition. It is the spaces between its players, a little too large, and the cohesion between its lines, now ever so slightly ragged. When Klopp, upon reviewing last year’s final for the first time this week, commented that it was a game his team could have won, he was not simply presenting a brave face. And then the reverie suddenly evaporated and reality descended. To a large extent it is increasingly odd that anyone else bothers entering the competition. [an inventive, audacious flick](https://twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1628125128088510464?s=20) from Darwin Nuñez, and then doubled it when Thibaut Courtois forgot how to work his legs and presented the ball to Mohamed Salah. It is only nine months, after all, since it played its third Champions League final in five years, Klopp sufficiently confident that the halcyon days would keep rolling that he advised his team’s fans — even in defeat — to book their hotel rooms for this year’s showpiece. As the game wound down, as the crowd started to thin out just a little, Real Madrid decided to indulge in a little game of keepaway. The crowd started to whistle, and then to jeer: at Real Madrid, at its own players, chasing at shadows, at this whole long, damned, miserable season. Carlo Ancelotti’s team has mastered the comeback, turned it into an art form, boiled it down to its very essence. But then there was the passing: The passing was the final straw.

While both Real Madrid and Liverpool are rightly considered Champions League royalty there can only be one king.

Tonight 5-2 they are pretty good in counter attacking and we have to go there and take some risks to score three goals. “And that produced a match which was lovely to play in and for those who were watching.” If anything, this Madrid team looks more complete than the one that beat Jurgen Klopp’s team in last year’s Paris final. We go there to try and win the game.” While the goal was a moment of good fortune, it was also a measure of the panic he sparked in Liverpool’s defense that Alisson was rushed into making the mistake. There was the chaotic defending that allowed Liverpool to race into a 2-0 lead as Darwin Nunez struck with a backheel in the fourth minute and Mohamed Salah doubled the advantage thanks to Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ blunder.

The former Liverpool defender did not hold back on the 5-2 Anfield loss; Thierry Henry​ called it the end of an era.

I think it's the end of an era, and it's been for a little while." Likely out in the round of 16 with next month's second leg looming and seven points back of the top four, this team might not even make Europa Conference League next season, let alone UCL or Europa League. An aging midfield has struggled to stay healthy and lost its step, and the defensive pressure that used to be applied by the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and the now-departed Sadio Mane has not been replicated. So far this season, Liverpool are allowing 1.27 goals per game in the Premier League and 1.57 in the Champions League, the latter inflated a bit due to Tuesday's score. But some of the players don't have the level anymore to play for Liverpool ... "I don't think Klopp needs to go. I think I'd take his place at the moment..." An aging squad needs a massive overhaul before it's too late, but it may just be in terms of Champions League qualification. and that's just the defense. Virgil van Dijk, who Carragher joked he could replace in the lineup, missed seven games this season with a hamstring injury and hasn't looked 100 percent. For years they've had a front six in front of them that worked harder and smarter than any other team in world football. "Virgil van Dijk said I wouldn't get in that back four a few months ago.

Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema scored twice as Real Madrid produced another stunning Champions League fightback from 2-0 down to thrash Liverpool 5-2 in ...

Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior both earned 9/10 in our Real Madrid player ratings after scoring two goals apiece in Tuesday's 5-2 win over Liverpool.

There was an extra edge to Anfield's normal noise on a big European night. An independent investigation into the chaotic scenes surrounding the Champions League ...

Get a report of the Liverpool vs. Real Madrid 2022-23 UEFA Champions League, Round of 16 football match.

"Many things can happen in football," Benzema said. I had a lot of games last season, and I had an injury at the World Cup. We knew we had to do more, and we did it until the end." I played a good game. "I've played very little in this Champions League," Benzema said. "This victory is for him.

Liverpool have regressed alarmingly this season and their decline has been stark, but Real Madrid remain serious Champions League contenders.

[Federico Valverde](https://theathletic.com/football/player/federico-valverde-7xkBDGz7u8vo68xZ/) and [Eduardo Camavinga](https://theathletic.com/football/player/eduardo-camavinga-qBwUXaLK9rZqTwy4/). Klopp’s men also overturned a three-goal deficit against [Barcelona](https://theathletic.com/football/team/fc-barcelona/) in the second leg of the 2019 semi-final. [Jordan Henderson](https://theathletic.com/football/player/jordan-henderson-y1RJ8PecCTSQJUtq/) and Fabinho were found wanting — underlining the need for new faces. They have become a soft touch and another elite centre-back should also be on Klopp’s shopping list for the summer. What this heavy defeat did reinforce was the importance of this summer’s rebuild. Klopp said: “I think Carlo thinks the tie is over — and I think it as well in the moment, but in three weeks… Yes, we have to improve but we have to take the good things as well. The step up in class was sizeable and they were found wanting. However, they shot themselves in the foot again shortly after the restart as Ultimately, this was a chastening night that will be remembered on Merseyside for all the wrong reasons. The Spanish giants found themselves 2-0 down inside 14 minutes and they were fortunate the damage was not greater. The emotion was raw.

What next for Liverpool after Champions League humiliation against Real Madrid? By Matias Grez, CNN. Published 5:10 AM EST, Wed February ...

It might only be the end of February, but Liverpool’s season – for all intents and purposes – is already over. It’s certainly not an impossible task, with Liverpool seven points behind Tottenham in fourth, but with two games in hand. The first goal, we became slightly passive higher up the pitch and we were not chasing them where we had to chase them. “It was exactly how we wanted to play, we caused them problems all over the place, we were really in the game with a super intense start. we can change five times [substitutes], we can keep the rhythm, but then the first situation pretty much … “I think the whole first half was good, besides the [Real] goals.

Jurgen Klopp criticised Liverpool for their "slapstick" defending as they suffered a 5-2 Champions League loss against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

"I've never seen a team come to Anfield like that on a European night and destroy Liverpool. "I told the boys that this is a result the opposite of what we wanted, but a defeat is a defeat. So we have to make sure we keep that. We have a few days when I will make sure we take the right things. His second came from an [Alisson](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/196876/Alisson) mistake. The second goal was slapstick."

It will take a mighty effort to repair the damage to morale sustained during the club's worst ever home defeat in Europe.

It’s not been the easiest season so far but the only way to get out of it is to stick together and that’s the message – even now. “The second leg is in three weeks.” Klopp’s message was telling because it recognised the implications of a game that was not just any other game or any other defeat, but unlike any Anfield encounter in his European adventures with Liverpool. “The start was outstanding, us in a nutshell, and that’s what we have to keep doing. If we allow this one game to be really influential we are really silly; 5-2 can be damaging but I have to make sure it is not.” The reaction is likely to have repercussions beyond a season of alarming regression.

There was mutual respect between fans of Liverpool and Real Madrid after Tuesday's Champions League game at Anfield. Real fans chanted: "Liverpool, ...

It sometimes feels like Liverpool only have one gear. There's no capacity for slowing the tempo of a match. Last night, that cost them.

[Virgil van Dijk](https://theathletic.com/football/player/virgil-van-dijk-3Z1HfXXu3SMQJOeY/) is out of shot to the right, ready to intervene. [Eduardo Camavinga](https://theathletic.com/football/player/eduardo-camavinga-qBwUXaLK9rZqTwy4/) reads his intention, and intercepts. They reached the [Europa League](https://theathletic.com/football/europa-league/) final in 2016, then the [Champions League](https://theathletic.com/football/champions-league/) final in 2018, 2019 and 2022. [Real Madrid](https://theathletic.com/football/team/real-madrid/) have regained possession immediately after they lost it. They were unfortunate with Benzema’s deflected goal for the fourth, and then completely collapsed and left their centre-backs exposed again for the fifth. [Trent Alexander-Arnold](https://theathletic.com/football/player/trent-alexander-arnold-vCmqp6XOqAVWrftz/), committing themselves to attack with the score at 2-0. As Courtois catches the ball, Liverpool’s centre-backs are the two players — on either team — closest to the goal. [Vinicius Jr got Real back into the game with an excellent goal](https://theathletic.com/4240196/2023/02/22/real-madrid-vinicius-jr-liverpool/) out of nothing, Liverpool kept on coming. Liverpool’s defence and midfield are in place, but this is like watching Paris Saint-Germain — a 4-3-0 shape. Salah and Nunez, the two wide players, are preparing to sprint forward. [Liverpool](https://theathletic.com/football/team/liverpool/)’s record in European competition under Klopp is exemplary. Liverpool came flying out of the traps, raced into an early lead, then couldn’t sustain that tempo and City gradually played their way into the game.

Vinicius Jr. and Karim Benzema scored two goals each to stun Liverpool and confirm the Spanish giant will take some stopping in its defense of the trophy. If ...

Tonight 5-2 they are pretty good in counter attacking and we have to go there and take some risks to score three goals. We go there to try and win the game.” “And that produced a match which was lovely to play in and for those who were watching.” If anything, this Madrid team looks more complete than the one that beat Jurgen Klopp's team in last year’s Paris final. While the goal was a moment of good fortune, it was also a measure of the panic he sparked in Liverpool’s defense that Alisson was rushed into making the mistake. There was the chaotic defending that allowed Liverpool to race into a 2-0 lead as Darwin Nunez struck with a backheel in the fourth minute and Mohamed Salah doubled the advantage thanks to Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ blunder.

Virgil van Dijk admits Liverpool face an "almost impossible" task to keep their Champions League hopes alive after a 5-2 hammering in the first leg of their ...