WE know that no first-leg lead is safe when Liverpool get it on with Spanish footballing royalty.
The astonishing semi-final comeback pulled off by Jurgen Klopp’s men against Barcelona two seasons ago is testament to that.
But then again, we are living in unusual times.
Liverpool have lost six home games in a row, heading into Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa.
Klopp’s men seem scared stiff of the ‘This Is Anfield’ sign and there will be nobody on The Kop to suck the ball into the net in time-honoured when Real Madrid visit next Wednesday.
The Reds are still alive in this Champions League quarter-final, thanks to Mo Salah’s away goal – and it certainly helped that there was no Sergio Ramos to perform a hatchet job on Liverpool’s leading scorer last night.
But Real were utterly dominant in the first half and continued to threaten during a glorious end-to-end second period of a belting Cup tie which was a good advert for football without first-choice central defenders.
A double from Vinicius Junior and another from Marco Asensio – gifted by a horrible Trent Alexander-Arnold error – ensured the Spanish champions will visit the out-going English champions with a clear advantage.
For that, Liverpool can blame a passive and sloppy first-half performance, which might well cost them a third Champions League semi-final in four years.
Zinedine Zidane’s men are not as starry as they were during their manager’s Galactico playing days – but they still possess oodles of class.
Toni Kroos is a master passer, Vinicius an electric, if inconsistent, forward, and Eden Hazard is expected to be back for the return match.
This tie brought back memories of that extraordinary night in Kiev three years ago, when the good, the bad and the ugly – Gareth Bale, Loris Karius and Sergio Ramos – combined to win Real their 13th European Cup.
None of that trio were present at Real’s training ground last night – Ramos is injured, along with his regular central-defensive partner Rafael Varane – mirroring Liverpool’s own problems in that position.
But the scoreline was the same as in Ukraine in 2018 – and the action was almost as breathless.
Real had been grinding out results of late, more sawdust than stardust. But this, their tenth win in a 12-match unbeaten streak, was thrilling.
While Real have the all-time record for European Cups, Liverpool’s history in the competition is ridiculously good – they have entered 21 times, reached nine finals and won six.
But having swaggered to a 3-0 victory at Arsenal on Saturday, Klopp’s team were knocked sideways by Real’s rapid start.
Zidane’s team had far more zip about their passing, Liverpool were strangely meek.
And while Real’s opener was a thing of beauty, there was no pressing from the visitors as Kroos lofted a 50-yard pass with forensic accuracy, allowing Vinicius to slip past Nat Phillips on a diagonal run, chest down and finish smoothly.
Real had a decent penalty shout soon after – Ozan Kabak dragging down Karim Benzema but ref Felix Brych showing clemency.
Vinicius dragged a shot wide before another lofted pass from Kroos created more panic in the Liverpool defence.
Alexander-Arnold attempted to intercept but could only head into the path of Asensio – suggesting that Gareth Southgate does know what he’s doing, despite the disgruntled noises coming from Merseyside about the right-back’s England axing.
Asensio lifted the ball over Allison and rounded the keeper to tap home.
Having made the surprise decision to start Naby Keita ahead of Thiago Alcantara, Klopp reversed that call by dragging off the hapless Keita before the break.
Liverpool were fuming when Sadio Mane, on a dangerous run, was brought down by Lucas Vazquez, but Brych seemed to have left his whistle back home in Germany.
Still, it was the first time Liverpool had failed to register a single shot in the first half of a Champions League match since they last visited Real Madrid, when Brendan Rodgers sent out the reserves in 2014.
Klopp must have had his Herr-dryer out at half-time because the Reds were transformed once the second half was under way.
Gini Wijnaldum broke from midfield and fed Diogo Jota, whose effort was blocked to Salah, marginally onside.
Thibaut Courtois got a hand on it but the ball bounced up and in off the underside of the bar for the away goal.
Then Alexander-Arnold showed the undoubted quality of his attacking play with a wonderful cross which Jota headed wide.
Yet Liverpool’s soft centre hadn’t gone away, of course, and Real almost caught them on the break from a Reds’ corner, only for Alexander-Arnold to race back and thwart Asensio.
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE
⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
Soon, though, a goal of embarrassing ease for Real – Karim Benzema collecting from a throw-in, finding Luka Modric, who squared for Vinicius to tuck home his second.
The contest veered back and forth at a dizzying pace but, somehow, the scoreline remained the same.
It is a long way back from here for Klopp’s men. Especially while their home is deserted and cursed.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
