In the fifth round of the second match day of the Champions League, a focus match and a confrontation between giants, which is also the highlight of this round, saw Premier League's Liverpool host La Liga's Real Madrid.
In the first four rounds of the Champions League, Liverpool achieved four consecutive victories, scoring 10 goals and conceding only one, showing an impressive performance. At the same time, Liverpool topped the Premier League table, leading second-placed Manchester City by eight points. Real Madrid, on the other hand, had a mediocre performance in the first four rounds of the Champions League, managing only two wins and two losses, scoring nine goals but conceding six, leaving them with a low ranking in terms of points. Additionally, in La Liga, they were four points behind leaders Barcelona, having played one game less.
Looking at their head-to-head record, Liverpool did not have the advantage, with one draw and seven losses in their last eight encounters. In the Champions League, Real Madrid had a comprehensive dominance over Liverpool.
For this match, Liverpool lined up in a 4-3-3 formation at home, with Caoimhin Kelleher as the goalkeeper. The four defenders from left to right were Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Conor Bradley. The three midfielders were Alexis Mac Allister, Fábio Carvalho, and Curtis Jones. The three forwards were Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez, and Mohamed Salah, with a starting lineup worth 490 million euros.
Due to numerous injuries, Real Madrid was missing key players such as Vinicius Junior, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Éder Militão, David Alaba, and Dani Carvajal. Carlo Ancelotti fielded a 4-2-2-2 formation at home, with Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois starting his 100th European club match. The four defenders were Ferland Mendy, Antonio Rüdiger, Álvaro Odriozola, and Eduardo Camavinga. Luka Modrić and Eduardo Camavinga partnered as the double pivot, with Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes providing support centrally. Kylian Mbappé and Marco Asensio formed the forward line.
In the 3rd minute, Mbappé lost possession due to lack of concentration, allowing Liverpool to counterattack. In the 4th minute, Liverpool continued their attack, with Núñez's low shot from the right side of the box being saved by Courtois. Raul Albiol nearly deflected the ball into his own net but managed to clear it in time to avoid an own goal. In the 23rd minute, Liverpool attacked again, with Núñez's close-range shot being bravely blocked by Courtois. In the 34th minute, Liverpool's frontcourt displayed dazzling combinations, but Luis Díaz's header was saved.
In the first half, Liverpool dominated with six shots, three on target, but failed to convert their chances, missing two scoring opportunities. Real Madrid struggled in the first half, appearing passive and failing to register a single shot on target. The half ended with a score of 0:0.
The second half brought dramatic changes, with both teams missing a penalty each. Goals from McAllister and Gakpo secured a 2-0 victory for Liverpool at home against Real Madrid.
In the 51st minute, Bradley, who had an excellent performance, headed the ball unmarked, but Courtois made an outstanding save.
In the 52nd minute, Bradley provided a precise assist, and McAllister scored with a low shot inside the box, giving Liverpool a 1:0 lead over Real Madrid.
In the 61st minute, Vázquez broke through in the box to win a penalty, but Mbappé's penalty kick was miraculously saved by Kelleher. Mbappé's shot was already tricky enough, but Kelleher was simply too brilliant.
In the 70th minute, Salah won a penalty after breaking through in the box, but his attempt was too focused on the angle and hit the right post, unfortunately bouncing out.
In the 76th minute, Robson opened a tactical corner from the right side for Liverpool, and Dutch star Gakpo scored with a powerful header at the back post, making it 2:0 for Liverpool at home.
In the 90+4th minute, Brahim Díaz took a shot from a tight angle, but Kelleher made another fantastic save, preventing Real Madrid from scoring a face-saving goal. The match ended with Real Madrid losing 0:2 away to Liverpool.
As a result, Real Madrid's unbeaten record of seven wins and one draw in their last eight matches against Liverpool came to an end. Liverpool also put an end to their embarrassing record against Real Madrid in the Champions League. With five consecutive victories in the Champions League this season, Liverpool continues to lead the standings.