Liverpool put their Champions League campaign firmly on track with a thumping 1-0 win over Real Madrid – and the reaction to Los Blancos’ performance in Spain was nothing short of heartbreaking.
Real Madrid have been heavily criticized in the Spanish media after losing to Liverpool in the Champions League. Alexis Mac Allister’s second-half goal gave the home side a 1-0 win, but the result could have been much worse for the Whites had it not been for Thibaut Courtois’ heroics between the sticks.
The Spanish giants come into this encounter not only with a 100 per cent record in Europe, but also in impressive form with 10 wins out of 11 in La Liga. Liverpool, on the other hand, had been reeling for several weeks, but came out looking for a win after losing six games in all competitions in a month.
But Arn Slott’s Reds deserved to win, with Conor Bradley silencing Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham nearly shut out by Ryan Gravenbirch. However, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo took aim at Kylian Mbappe, accusing the Frenchman of “disappearing”, especially in the first half.
“The mystical and spectacular quality that the game had displayed minutes before the ball started rolling began to disappear as time went on, and the game between both teams became more physical than anything else,” they wrote. “Especially (Real Madrid) had a lot of the ball, but they lacked decisiveness.
“Players like Vinicius and Bellingham were able to play well in this, but not so much for a crucial player like Mbappe, who was absent in the first half.” The magazine also gave a one-star rating to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who came on in the second half amid a chorus of boos.
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Cadena SER targeted Bellingham and slammed England international Bellingham and Mbappe for refusing to cooperate defensively. “Real Madrid have a problem with aerial balls. Despite having players like Eder Militao, Aurélien Choameny and Dean Huyssen, they struggle to defend aerial balls because other players like Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé don’t try to cover them.”
Sport put the blame squarely at the feet of manager Xabi Alonso, claiming the former Liverpool midfielder got everything wrong tactically. “Real Madrid suffered from complacency and forgot to press after the 20th minute, getting carried away by Arne Slott’s tactics,” they wrote.
“And yes, the ultimate responsibility lies with the players on the pitch, but the mistakes made in the mixed marking of corners (Vinicius marking Van Dijk) and substitutions are and will always be the fault of the manager, or of the coaching staff, who have so far not been able to find the right formula for defending set-pieces, etc.”
He also reserved praise for Bradley for keeping Vinicius quiet all night, saying: “In La Liga, Vinicius is always one step away from his markers, so he will benefit. But if he encounters a player like Bradley who can keep up with him, his advantage will be minimized.”
This performance was probably Liverpool’s best of the season so far, and one of Real Madrid’s worst. As a result, both teams are tied on nine points in the group stage, with only Arsenal and Bayern Munich, who maintain a perfect record with four wins from four games, behind them.
This could represent a turning point for the slot side as well. After a convincing win against Aston Villa at the weekend and a solid win against Frankfurt last month, the Reds have now won three of their last five games, a sign that their troubles may finally be coming to an end.
For Real Madrid, this is a case of picking up the pieces and a stark reminder that even the most in-form teams can be beaten by those with intensity, discipline and something to prove.
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