Dream goals, goalkeeper mistakes - and in the end a debacle for Jürgen Klopp's FC Liverpool: The Reds conceded the next bitter bankruptcy against their feared opponent Real Madrid on a spectacular Champions League evening. That could have consequences.
When the final whistle sounded, arguably ending more than just a Champions League round of 16 first leg, the spectators at Anfield applauded, a mark of appreciation for the visitors from Madrid and encouragement for their own side. It was restrained, polite applause, like in the theater. The Kop grandstand sang the club's anthem, the sentimental song about never walking alone: "Walk on, walk on...!" A few Liverpool FC players waved to the fans from a distance. Coach Jürgen Klopp patted his chest, but not as energetically as he had often done in recent years after Champions League nights at Anfield.
It was the muffled end to a traumatic event for Liverpool FC. The team lost the reunion of last season's final opponents 5-2 to Real Madrid, despite an early 2-0 lead thanks to a hacking goal by Darwin Nunez (4th) and a waking moment by Mohamed Salah (14th): the Egyptian took advantage Thibaut Courtois' failed dribbling. The guests from Spain's capital proved once again what is already a certainty in the footballing world, namely that they can never be written off, that they can always come back. At the break, Real had made up the two-goal deficit, in the second half the Champions League record winner, led by the outstanding attackers Vinícius Júnior and Karim Benzema, processed Liverpool FC to confetti at times.
Despite all the class of Real: Jürgen Klopp's team has the heaviest home defeat in Europe to blame. "We gave all five goals away," admitted the coach, which roughly translates to: All five goals conceded were gifts. At 2-1 through Vinícius Júnior, defenders Trent-Alexander Arnold and Joe Gomez watched like teenagers watching a pop star perform, at 2-2 the otherwise reliable goalkeeper Alisson shot his Brazilian compatriot Vinícius Júnior. Éder Militão's 2-3 came after a free-kick Gomez conceded by clumsily boarding Vinícius Júnior, yes, at 2-4 Gomez deflected a shot from Karim Benzema.
The guests' fifth goal was symbolic of the class difference between the two teams, of Real Madrid's dominance and the chaos at Liverpool FC. Fabinho lost the ball in midfield, the timeless Luka Modrić shook off young Stefan Bajcetic, Karim Benzema dropped goalkeeper Alisson and placed the ball in between helpless Liverpool defenders. Anfield fell silent. You could almost hear the cool wind blowing through the stadium.
The dismantling against Real was not an isolated case, but the consistent escalation of Liverpool FC's season so far. The English runners-up and runners-up in the Champions League last season are no longer recognizable. The side have slipped into mid-table in the Premier League and have been eliminated from both English cup competitions, largely because their defense is sometimes as resilient as wet newspaper. The two most recent 2-0 victories against city rivals Everton and the nouveau riche Newcastle United had given the Anfield community hope that Liverpool had shaken off the crisis in time for the meeting with Real Madrid. Perhaps the season could have been a success - with a triumph in the Champions League.
Pretty sure it won't work that way. Liverpool are practically eliminated ahead of the round of 16 second leg at the Bernabéu on March 15. And so the 2: 5 against Real was possibly the last Champions League game at Anfield for a long time. Because of the bleak situation in the league, Liverpool is in danger of missing out on the competition that has shaped the team in recent years for the first time since 2016/2017.
In the Champions League, Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool has matured into a team for eternity. Reaching the final in 2018 (losing to Real Madrid) and lifting the 2019 Henkel Cup (versus Tottenham) were the stepping stones to winning the 2020 English championship, the culmination of Klopp's more than seven-year tenure at the River Mersey. Now the Champions League signals the end of an era.
The 2:5 against Real once again showed that the team has passed its sell-by date. "Liverpool have had an incredible ride under Klopp, but the German will know better than anyone that this team needs to be torn apart and rebuilt," wrote the Mirror. The "Times" had seen a "total capitulation" of his team, "Liverpool suffered perhaps the worst defeat in an extremely disappointing season". Heroes of recent years like defender Virgil Van Dijk, captain Jordan Henderson or goalscorer Mohamed Salah are 30 years or older. The midfield in particular needs to be strengthened.
Klopp has recently emphasized several times that when he extended his contract last year until 2026, he was aware of the upcoming reorganization of the squad. There is no doubt about his dedication to his employer. Klopp's goal is to create a new great Liverpool team. The team that won the Champions League in 2019 and the English championship in 2020 probably experienced their downfall in the 5-2 loss to Real Madrid. "It was a big blow," said Klopp, "but a defeat is only a defeat if we don't learn from it. We will learn from it and move on."
