Liverpool secured their first victory over Real Madrid since March 2009 in a highly anticipated UEFA Champions League encounter.
The match began with a goalless first half characterized by limited opportunities, although Liverpool dominated the proceedings. Their persistence paid off early in the second half when Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 52nd minute.
Real Madrid had a golden opportunity to equalize after Lucas Vázquez was brought down in the box by Andrew Robertson. However, Kylian Mbappé’s penalty was expertly saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher, keeping the Reds ahead. Liverpool were later awarded a penalty of their own in the 70th minute following a foul by Ferland Mendy on Mohamed Salah. However, Salah failed to convert, sending his effort wide.
Madrid’s penalty miss proved costly as Cody Gakpo doubled Liverpool’s lead in the 76th minute, effectively sealing the win. The result places Real Madrid in the final UEFA Champions League playoff spot with six points from five games, while Liverpool remain the only team in the competition to have won all five of their group matches, sitting comfortably at the top of their group.
Adding to Real Madrid’s woes, Eduardo Camavinga sustained an injury during the match, further compounding their ongoing injury crisis.
In his post-match comments, Carlo Ancelotti admitted Liverpool were deserving winners. “The result is correct; Liverpool deserved to win,” he stated. However, he remained optimistic about his team’s chances, saying, “We must improve, but we will go through.”
Ancelotti also offered support for Kylian Mbappé following his missed penalty, urging patience. “We all have to be patient with him. Maybe he lacks some confidence, but we won’t destroy a player because of one missed penalty. It happens, and I’m sure everyone has faith in him.”
Despite the setback, the Real Madrid manager expressed belief in his squad’s ability to progress, reiterating, “We will go through.”

By: Ibidunni Doyinsola
info@thesubstancenews.com