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 16:46 · Michael Jones]

Liverpool vs Real Madrid

Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Champions League action as Liverpool host Real Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 clash.

This fixture kicks off at 8pm and is a repeat of the 2022 final when Madrid defeated Liverpool 1-0 in Paris thanks to Vinicius Junior’s second half strike. Thibaut Courtois was named player of the match that night due to his incredible display between the sticks and he’ll be hoping to repeat that performance at Anfield tonight.

Real Madrid have had an indifferent campaign in La Liga this season - for their standards anyway - and find themselves trailing Barcelona by eight points in the league. That means Carlo Ancelotti is likely to focus on European football as Madrid’s best chance of collecting silverware. They’re unbeaten in six matches against Liverpool, last losing to the Reds in March 2009, and will be confident of defeating Jurgen Klopp’s men once again.

Liverpool’s domestic season has been equally underwhelming. They are eighth in the Premier League and trying to get into the race for the top four but only a run of victories will see them achieve that. Another possibility of securing European football next season is by winning the Champions League. That won’t be easy but Klopp’s team have won back-to-back games for the first time this year and have built a bit of momentum going into their biggest match of 2023 so far. Can they finally defeat Real Madrid?