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It’s far less savage than anyone was expecting. Real Madrid win the two fixtures 4-0, but Liverpool produced arguably their best defensive performance this season.
There was little on show in attack, with Adam Lallana having their best chance after a lovely turn and shooting his chance wide of Casillas.
Real Madrid dominated proceedings, and they can be rightly proud of their performance, but Ancelotti may be critical of the team’s finishing.
Both Bale and Ronaldo rattled the bar, and there were umpteen chances for Real to make this into the bloodbath it promised.
Great performances both for Simon Mignolet and Kolo Toure, and Real’s best player was arguably the left back Marcelo, who set up Benzema’s goal, and had numerous other raids down that flank to further extend Real’s advantage.
In the end though, it is only 1-0, and that now secures Real Madrid’s progression to the next round.
FINAL SCORE:
Real Madrid 1
Liverpool 0
It is the return battle of two European heavyweights in name, but not in current form, as Real Madrid host Liverpool at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 6:45am (AEDT).
Never has the gulf in class nor confidence been so apparent between two teams of premium prestige. Real Madrid – European champions, perennial La Liga challengers, possibly Europe’s grandest football brand, and 3-0 conquerors of Anfield.
On the red side is Liverpool, whose season has epitomised the fickleness of football fortunes.
Had you placed last season’s Liverpool in this fixture, complete with Luis Suarez, then audiences would be salivating at the showpiece of attacking football that awaited. But while Liverpool has since lost their troublesome, yet brilliant Uruguayan, Real Madrid’s acquisitions only spell trouble for the English club.
Cristiano Ronaldo was always a known quantity to the Reds via his Manchester United days, but he reminded Liverpool his wares with a wonderfully taken goal at Anfield. Six months ago, James Rodriguez was a promising Colombian applying his trade for the richly anonymous Monaco. Now he is a firm part of an ensemble that threatens to tear apart a porous Liverpool defence.
Completing their attacking troika is Gareth Bale, who is set to return to first-team action after a lengthy injury absence. Where once Liverpool strikers would gleefully pile forward at the man who started his career as an anonymous left back, there only remains the question on how well the Welshman can readjust to his status as the world’s most expensive footballer. Liverpool will be praying it occurs the game after tomorrow.
All that, and we haven’t discussed Karim Benzema.
Since their home humiliation three weeks ago, Liverpool have drawn against Hull City, beaten Swansea at the final bell, and lost at Newcastle – hardly the form to inspire a team set to taken on Europe’s best.
Further pressure is mounting on Brendan Rodgers’ selection policy – one that has seen Mario Balotelli often lumped in a lone forward role sans support or ideas. Raheem Sterling looks every bit the tired teenager, while Steven Gerrard’s worst days have taken on new meaning since that critical slip against Chelsea last season.
All of that, and we haven’t yet talked about Liverpool’s true Achilles heel. If the quote “defence wins you championships” held true, then no one told Brendan Rodgers. The decision to offload the inspirational, but injury-prone Daniel Agger was justified to make way for Croatian Dejan Lovren. While Agger has returned to his comfortable anonymity at Brondby, both Lovren and Martin Skrtel are firmly in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Not helping matters is the duo of Glen Johnson, who looks to be running at the pace of a man 10 years his senior, and the error-riddled work of Alberto Moreno.
Pile this defence against Real Madrid’s troika of forward creators (plus Benzema), and you envision true carnage is set to be unveiled at the Bernabeu.
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