Liverpool vs Real Madrid LIVE score: Champions League result as Real come from two goals down to win

Liverpool 2-5 Real Madrid: A 2-0 Liverpool lead soon turned into a heavy defeat on a nightmare night at Anfield

'Somebody should find a new job' - Klopp on UEFA's organisation of CL final

Real Madrid produced a stunning comeback from two goals down to earn a devastating 5-2 victory at Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

In a re-run of last year’s final, the first half was played at a ferocious pace, with the hosts racing into a fourth-minute lead through a superb Darwin Nunez flick, the quickest goal Liverpool have ever scored at Anfield in the Champions League. Anfield erupted 10 minutes later when a horrendous miscontrol from Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois left Mohamed Salah with the simple task of slotting the ball home to make it 2-0.

Yet just as they did on several occasions en route to their 14th European Cup crown last season, Real quickly turned things around, with Vinicius Jr. scoring one sublime strike and one fluke goal after another goalkeeping mistake to level the match by half-time. A bullet Eder Militao header completed the turnaround for Real early in the second half, sapping all the life out of Anfield in the process.

The hosts’ misery was not done there, however, as Karim Benzema’s double ensured Liverpool shipped five goals at home for only the third time this century in all competitions, leaving them with a monumental task to reach the quarter-finals.

Relive all the action from a crazy night at Anfield:

Liverpool vs Real Madrid

• Real Madrid take advantage of Champions League last-16 tie with 5-2 away victory over Liverpool
• Liverpool slip again as Real Madrid comeback cements position as kings of Europe
• 67’ GOAL! - Benzema completes a counter-attack to add to his tally (LIV 2-5 RMA)
• 55’ GOAL! - Benzema gets on the scoresheet with a deflected strike (LIV 2-4 RMA)
• 47’ GOAL! - Militao powers Real Madrid into the lead (LIV 2-3 RMA)
• 36 GOAL! - An error from Alisson gives Vinicius his second of the night (LIV 2-2 RMA)
• 30’ SAVE! - Alisson leaps across to deny Vinicius Jr (LIV 2-1 RMA)
• 21’ GOAL! - Vinicius Jr pulls one back for the visitors (LIV 2-1 RMA)
• 14’ GOAL! - Salah pounces on Courtois’ mistake (LIV 2-0 RMA)
• 4’ GOAL! - Nunez backheels Liverpool in the lead (LIV 1-0 RMA)

[21 February 2023 19:25 · Michael Jones]

Liverpool vs Real Madrid

If Jordan Henderson features he will enter the list of the Reds’ top 10 appearance makers in Europe, joining Phil Neal on 74 matches.

(Action Images via Reuters)

[21 February 2023 19:20 · Michael Jones]

Liverpool owner John W Henry insists FSG are not selling Premier League club

Liverpool owner John W Henry said the Merseyside club is not for sale now.

Henry and Fenway Sports Group had revealed in November that the club was on the market but now it is more likely they get a minority investor. The American consortium are in talks with possible partners.

FSG bought Liverpool for £300 million in 2010 and may have been looking for £4 billion to sell the club but, unlike Manchester United, they are not thought to have received any concrete offers and will now concentrate on finding someone to purchase a smaller share of the club.

Henry told the Boston Sports Journal: “I know there has been a lot of conversation and quotes about LFC, but I keep to the facts: we merely formalised an ongoing process.

“Will we be in England forever? No. Are we selling LFC? No. Are talking with investors about LFC? Yes. Will something happen there? I believe so, but it won’t be a sale. Have we sold anything in the past 20-plus years?”

[21 February 2023 19:15 · Michael Jones]

Liverpool not for sale

Liverpool owner John Henry says he is not selling the club despite considering the option last year. Henry’s Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which bought Liverpool in 2010, said in November it “would consider new shareholders” in the Reds.

FSG chairman Tom Werner later said the club’s owners were “exploring a sale” but could continue their “stewardship for quite a while”.

“Are we selling LFC? No,” Henry told the Boston Sports Journal. “Are talking with investors about LFC? Yes. Will something happen there? I believe so, but it won’t be a sale.”

[21 February 2023 19:10 · Michael Jones]

Salah closing on Liverpool record

Mo Salah is one goal away from becoming Liverpool’s outright top scorer of all time in European competition.

Currently level with Steven Gerrard on 41, the Egyptian will move clear in the history books if he nets in Tuesday night’s Champions League tie with Real Madrid at Anfield.

(PA)

[21 February 2023 19:05 · Michael Jones]

Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo relishing chance to prove himself in the Champions League

Liverpool’s January signing Cody Gakpo admits he still has to prove himself in the Champions League.

The 23-year-old may have played in a World Cup quarter-final against eventual champions Argentina but his experience in Europe’s elite club competition extends to just seven minutes in one substitute appearance in a group-stage draw against Tottenham in October 2018.

Gakpo had struggled with his form since arriving from PSV Eindhoven for an initial £37m last month – not helped by Liverpool’s struggles on the pitch as a team – but the Netherlands international has now scored in back-to-back matches against Everton and Newcastle.

And his first Champions League start could be in the last-16, first-leg tie at home to Real Madrid.

[21 February 2023 19:00 · Michael Jones]

Liverpool’s previous defeats

Liverpool have bad memories of facing Real Madrid in the Champions League:

2022 - Real Madrid beat Liverpool 2-0 in the final.

2021 - Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 on aggregate in the quarters.

2018 - Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 in the final.

2014 - Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-0 and 1-0 in the group stages.

Can the Reds finally get one over on the Spanish champions tonight?

[21 February 2023 18:55 · Michael Jones]

Liverpool vs Real Madrid

Tonight’s venue. Can Real Madrid win away from home?

[21 February 2023 18:50 · Michael Jones]

Klopp on Ancelotti

Jurgen Klopp also spoke about Carlo Ancelotti in the build-up to tonight’s match and called him the ‘most relaxed manager’ he’s ever met.

“Somebody told me – I don’t even know if it is true or not – that Carlo said after the final, ‘Liverpool was cool that day, they know exactly what they will face’ – after the final, before the final, I don’t know exactly.” said Klopp when reminiscing about Liverpool’s defeat in the 2022 Champions League final.

“But I watched the game back now, even with knowing exactly what we will do – we have to win this game. We didn’t for the one reason: that we didn’t score and conceded. But apart from that, we should have won this game.

“Carlo is the most relaxed manager I ever met in my life, one of the best people you can meet – fantastic person, humble person, super-smart and nice.

“Obviously his man-management is a completely different level to all of us and I respect that a lot, I admire that a lot. So yes, with this world-class team, which they were last year, brought in super-exciting young players.

“Maybe [they] struggle a bit in the league – I don’t know if you can call that struggling, but Barcelona is just a few points ahead – but apart from that, they are always super, super-competitive and super-difficult to beat.

“So, this combination is a difficult one – that’s true – but I think it makes absolute sense to try it anyway.”

[21 February 2023 18:45 · Michael Jones]

Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid’s Vinicius is fully focused on Liverpool game

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti believes Vinicius Jr is fully focused on football despite being targeted with racist abuse, and backed him to show his quality against Liverpool once again on Tuesday.

The Brazil international, who has scored three goals in his last three meetings with Jurgen Klopp’s side – including the winner in May’s Champions League final – has found himself the subject of sickening insults in Spain.

It has included a mannequin wearing the player’s shirt being hung from a bridge outside Madrid’s training ground last month. But Ancelotti has backed the 22-year-old to overcome the abuse and elevate himself into the top echelon of world football.

[21 February 2023 18:40 · Michael Jones]

Liverpool vs Real Madrid team news

There are no changes for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool who names the same team that defeated Newcastle in their last outing.

Carlo Ancelotti makes two changes to the Real Madrid team that defeated Osasuna in La Liga last time out. Dani Ceballos and Nacho drop out with Dani Carvajal and Karim Benzema brought back in.