Real Madrid 's biggest stars were absent, and the Merengues failed to conjure their characteristic Champions League magic, falling 1-0 to Liverpool on Tuesday. Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, in particular, had a remarkably subdued night, resulting in the end of Real Madrid 's perfect start to their European campaign in unmemorable circumstances against a struggling Liverpool side managed by Arne Slot.
Liverpool took the initiative from the outset, establishing control of the game. Real Madrid threatened intermittently, with Vinicius Jr. creating danger down the left flank, but were otherwise contained and relied heavily on Thibaut Courtois to stay in the match. The Belgian goalkeeper responded with five saves in the first half alone, ensuring the score remained goalless at the break.
Courtois continued his impressive performance in the second half, denying the home side a goal on two occasions from corners. However, he was finally beaten when Alexis Mac Allister headed home a precise free kick from Dominik Szoboszlai to score the only goal.
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Normally, this would be the moment when Real Madrid react, and although they showed a bit more fight, clear chances were few and far between. Mbappé got more involved and Vinicius made runs down the wing, but the closest they came was a shot from Mbappé that grazed the post. Substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold returned from his long-term injury in front of his former fans, receiving boos, but like most of Real Madrid 's stars , he had no impact.
Goalkeeper and Defense
Thibaut Courtois (9/10):
He had an absolutely incredible performance between the posts. Honestly, it was a shame he conceded. A pillar for the team. Real Madrid .
Federico Valverde (7/10):
He played as a right-back ahead of Alexander-Arnold. He didn't link up much in midfield, but he fulfilled his defensive duties.
Eder Militao (7/10):
He was ready for battle, made some crucial blocks, and generally did his job.
Dean Huijsen (6/10):
He had some trouble with Ekitike and was beaten at times. He made one particularly reckless tackle that earned him a yellow card.
Alvaro Carreras (6/10):
A match of ups and downs. They defended well against Salah at the beginning, but struggled in the second half.
Midfield
Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):
An inconsistent performance against a very mobile Wirtz. He kept the German at bay at times, but also committed several fouls.
Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):
He fought hard in midfield and didn't shy away from duels, but he was beaten too easily on some occasions.
Jude Bellingham (5/10):
He struggled to impose his presence on the game. He made several mistakes and some of his passes were inaccurate. Far from his best form with the Real Madrid .
Arda Guler (5/10):
He never really got into the game and didn't have much room to operate.
Attack
Kylian Mbappe (5/10):
He was largely invisible until the final 20 minutes, when he showed a few flashes of brilliance. One of his shots went wide, and he was brought down by Van Dijk a couple of times. Overall, a disappointing performance.
Vinicius Jr (6/10):
Dangerous at first, causing problems for his gang against Bradley. He could have used more help from his teammates in the attack. Real Madrid .
Substitutes and Coach
Rodrygo (6/10):
He offered some attacking intent down the right, but never found the decisive pass.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (5/10):
He was relentlessly booed by the home crowd. He didn't touch the ball much.
Brahim Diaz (N/A):
No time to make an impact on the game.
Xabi Alonso (5/10):
He fielded his strongest eleven, but couldn't get a good performance from them. Real Madrid They were outplayed throughout the match and could have suffered a heavier defeat were it not for Courtois' brilliance. It wasn't his best night in charge of the team.
