Alexis Mac Allister scored on a header in the 61st minute a the Reds put in one of their best efforts of the season. As a result, Liverpool defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in a Champions League match at Anfield.
First Half
Liverpool were aggressive from the off as they were caught for two offsides in the first five minutes. High pressure led to Alexis Mac Allister’s shot in the 10th minute, but it was high. Salah made a run in the box, but the ball was taken off his foot.
Real Madrid began to settle in the match with a large spell of possession over the next stretch, but the Reds earned a free kick in the 24th minute, which was headed away. Thibaut Courtois made a big save on Dominik Szoboszlai’s shot in the 27th minute. Szoboszlai nearly drew a penalty moments later, but VAR ruled there was no penalty for a handball.
Ibrihima Konate came away with a big intervention to stop a Real Madrid counterattack, and Szoboszlai nearly scored on the other end if not for a fingertip save from Courtois. Giorgi Mamardashvili was called into action late in the half to keep the match level at the half.
Second Half
Liverpool peppered the goal with shots to start the second half, but Courtois made a trio of saves. He also punched away a free kick from Szboszai in the 52nd minute. The visitors put a shot wide near the hour mark
The Reds finally broke through in the 61st minute thanks to a blistering free kick from Szoboszlai that found the head of Alexis Mac Allister and then the back of the net for a 1-0.
Over the last half hour of the match, Liverpool maintained control. Kylian Mbappé did put a shot wide in the 75th minute, but that was the only major chance the visitors had. Mohamed Salah had a shot blocked in the 88th minute, and Cody Gakpo’s follow-up attempt was saved. The Reds then saw out the five minutes of stoppage time to claim the big 1-0 win.
What It Means
Liverpool have now won two matches in a row vs. Real Madrid. The victory also moves the Reds to sixth on the Champions League Table, good enough to advance to the Round of 16 if they stay at that position. Liverpool set a new Champions League attendance record with a crowd of 59,916 supporters packed Anfield. The record is 61,905 in an FA Cup match vs Wolverhampton in 1952.
A Look At The Stats
Even though Real Madrid controlled nearly two-thirds of the possession, Liverpool had the majority of the chances. They outshot Real Madrid 17-8 and 9-2 on goal. If not for the eight saves by Courtois, the scoreline would have reflected just how dominant Liverpool was.
What Does Slot Say?
The boss was very positive about the club’s performance, and he was not shy about letting the media know.
“We played against an incredible side, a team that is in an unbelievable run of form – only lost once, won all the other games,” he said. “If you then can win against them, but also with the performance we had, that’s very positive. But apart from everything, we can say, we beat them because of a set-piece. It’s nicer to talk about this if you win because if you lose, people come up with that I try to find excuses. But a positive set-piece balance is the minimum you need to get a result nine out of 10 times, and that’s what we had today.”
LFC Globe Verdict
I think this was the best match Liverpool has played all season. Even in their long winning streak to start the campaign, the Reds looked beatable. Not today. They were in top form from the opening whistle. Conor Bradley was great defensively, and Florian Wirtz was super creative at times. Liverpool once again looked like a top team in Europe, and if they can keep putting together performances like that, they could certainly lift the Champions League trophy in May 2026.
Man Of The Match
There are so many Liverpool players who deserve recognition, along with the Madrid goalie Courtois. However, Dominik Szoboszlai was the best player on the pitch over the 90 minutes, and he has been in such a good run of form recently. Szoboszlai provided the assist on Mac Allister’s goal and produced many chances on his own.
What’s Next
Liverpool will return to EPL action on November 9, travelling to Manchester City.
Goals
Liverpool
- Alexis Mac Allister 61’
Real Madrid
-NONE-
Substitutes
Liverpool
- Cody Gakpo for Hugo Ekitike 79’
- Curtis Jones for Alexis MacAllister 79’
- Federico Chiesa for Florian Wirtz 88’
- Milos Kerkez for Andy Robertson 88’
Real Madrid
- Rodrygo for Eduardo Camavinga 69’
- Trent Alexander-Arnold for Arda Guler 81’
- Brahim Diaz for Federico Valverde 90’
