LIVERPOOL were unable to find a way past an inspired Thibaut Courtois as their Champion League challenge was ended by Real Madrid.
- Final score: Liverpool 0-0 Real Madrid (agg 1-3)
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THAT’S ALL FROM ANFIELD
And that’s all for Liverpool.
After last season’s heroics, this campaignus horribilis will end without any silverware following their Champions League elimination.
Instead, the focus will now be on a top-four finish, and ensuring their place in next season’s competition.
Madrid, meanwhile, march on. For a club that looked out of sorts themselves at the turn of the year, a La Liga title and European Cup number 14 now look very real prospects.
If you’re after any further reading before bed, why not take in Charlie Wyett’s match report hot off the press following Liverpool’s exit from Europe.
Goodnight.
KLOPP’S MADRID HOODOO
Following elimination at the hands of Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in the past two seasons, let’s hope Liverpool don’t draw Rayo Vallecano in next year’s Europa League.
KLOPP VOWS TO KEEP WORKING
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp was clearly disappointed by his side’s quarter-final exit this evening, but believes his side have what it takes to fight back in the Premier League and earn a spot in next season’s Champions League.
The performance tonight was good, but we lost the tie in Madrid. We made it uncomfortable for Madrid, we were aggressive and had massive chances at the start of the game. Score one of them and it opens up. However, it got more and more difficult, and with the experience of Madrid, they played down the tempo. We lost some rhythm in the second half, and we needed more width to force situations. The Champions League is very important to the club for different reasons so we can now concentrate on the Premier League. We have to work our socks off.
Jurgen Klopp
FULL OF FIGHT
Liverpool’s full-backs, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, kept going until the final whistle, and were once again their side’s main source of creativity.
NACHO MAN
Both Nacho and Eder Militao, Real Madrid’s stand-in centre-backs, were superb again this evening, repelling everything that Liverpool’s forwards threw at them.
Will they line up against Chelsea in the semi-finals or will the return of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane see the heroic pair return to the bench?
CAPTAIN’S LOG
Liverpool’s skipper for the evening, James Milner admitted at full time that he felt his side deserved more for their efforts this evening, and hoped they could use this performance as a springboard for a strong finish to the season.
I thought the performance was good tonight. The intensity and desire was good, we pressed well but we did not take our chances. The positives are that we are creating chances, and we did enough tonight to have got what we needed. If we had played the first leg like that, it would have been a different story. Ultimately, we were not good enough over the two games, but if we show the same desire and intensity over the remaining league games, we can put this game aside and have one big final push for those Champions League places.
James Milner
FULL TIME STATS
Fifteen shots on goal, 51 touches in the opposition box but Liverpool could not find a way through Real Madrid’s resolute defence.
SCORES AND DRAW
Elsewhere this evening, Manchester City came from behind to win in Dortmund and progress to the last four following a 4-2 aggregate success.
It leaves the Champions League semi-finals looking like this:
- Paris Saint-Germain v Manchester City
- Real Madrid v Chelsea
The first legs will be played on the evenings of April 27 and 28.
FT: LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
Real Madrid progress to the Champions League semi-finals after a superb defensive display at Anfield. The Premier League side dominated on the night, but failed to take their chances when they arose and ultimately paid the price for a poor first leg. It’s the Spaniards that march on as Liverpool face up to a season without silverware.
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
LIVERPOOL CRASH OUT AT ANFIELD!LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
90+4. A fitting end to the contest as Nacho wins another header to deny Salah at the death.
Both Nacho and his rookie partner, Eder Militao, have been superb again this evening – along with Casemiro in front of them.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
90+2. Was that the final chance?!
Thiago gets in ahead of Casemiro to win possession, and then slips in Salah inside the area.
With teammates in the middle, the Egyptian goes for the pull back but there’s Courtois out low to smother the ball behind via the Liverpool man.
It’s not Liverpool’s night. It’s not their season.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
90. The board goes up for four minutes stoppage time.
Liverpool need to score – twice.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
88. The hosts set up camp outside their opponent’s penalty area, but Real Madrid just seem impenetrable.
Out of time, belief and ideas, Shaqiri attempts a chip over the back four, but it’s dealt with once again by Nacho.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
86. A Liverpool cross from the right, smartly cut out by Nacho.
A Liverpool cross from the left, deflected, and cleared by Mendy with the help of Isco.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
85. Courtois races off his line to claim Oxlade-Chamberlain’s hopeful and, ultimately, wasteful cross into the box.
The Madrid goalkeeper drops to his knees and then stomach, and eats up a few more seconds as the clock ticks towards 90.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
82. Two more substitutions for Liverpool. On come Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Xherdan Shaqiri, off go Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
Madrid also make a change with Isco replacing Marco Asensio.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
81. Benzama! Misses from point-blank range!
The Madrid striker, unmarked and unchallenged, gets his jump all wrong as he meets a dink from the left, inadvertently heading down, up and over.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
80. Failing to make an impression at one end in heading wide from a corner, Nat Phillips shows his worth at the other.
The Liverpool defender does really well to cut out a cross from the byline following outrageous skill from Asensio.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
77. Have Liverpool finally run out of belief?
It’s games like these. It’s nights like these. It’s moments like these when they really need a packed Kop.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
76. Real send three players into the penalty area for a corner. That tells you what you need to know about the state of this tie.
Unsurprisingly, none of them win the ball when it’s sent in.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
74. A chance for Madrid to settle the tie on the counter.
Benzema finds Odriozola on the right, but the substitute overcooks his cross when looking to return play to the striker, who had continued his run into the box.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
72. Zinedine Zidane freshen things up with a double change. Alvara Odriozola, a traditional right-back, comes on to free Federico Valverde from his time filling in at the back, and they’re joined on the pitch by Rodrygo. Off go Toni Kroos and Vinicius Junior.
LIVERPOOL 0-0 REAL MADRID (AGG 1-3)
70. Liverpool are really threatening now. Jota is denied twice in quick succession, first by another excellent Militao block, and then, when he blasts into the side netting.
In between the two, Phillips steered a header over.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
