Courtois heroics not enough to stop Liverpool revival
Liverpool reignited their Champions League campaign with a dominant 1-0 victory over Real Madrid at a charged Anfield, reminding Europe of their title-winning best under Arne Slot. Alexis Mac Allister’s first-half header settled a fierce contest, while Real’s attacking stars were kept quiet all night.
Match summary
From the opening whistle, Liverpool played with purpose and precision. Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai dictated the tempo, while Conor Bradley set the tone with a crunching tackle on Vinícius Júnior that sent Anfield roaring.
Alexis Mac Allister went close early before finally breaking the deadlock with a thumping header from a Szoboszlai free-kick. The goal came after relentless pressure and several top saves from Thibaut Courtois, who once again frustrated the Reds — until that moment.
The home side dominated the first half, with Real unable to string meaningful passes together. Mbappé, Bellingham, and Vinícius were isolated and ineffective, as Slot’s side swarmed every loose ball and forced countless errors.
A complete Liverpool performance
Real’s frustrations grew as the match wore on. Bellingham picked up a booking, Alonso was shown a yellow card on his touchline return, and Vinícius resorted to theatrics, drawing jeers from the Kop.
Liverpool’s intensity never dipped. Szoboszlai and Van Dijk both went close, and Courtois denied Ekitiké with a brilliant stop. But Mac Allister’s goal was enough to seal three points and back-to-back clean sheets for Slot’s side.
What it means
Liverpool climb back into contention for the top eight of the Champions League league phase, and perhaps more importantly, rediscover their ruthless identity at Anfield. For Real Madrid, this was a humbling night — their big names subdued, their rhythm broken, and their aura dimmed.
