With a resounding 2-0 victory on Wednesday thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo, Liverpool reclaimed their top spot in the Champions League standings and defeated Real Madrid for the first time in fifteen years.
The Reds’ dominance was so great that they were able to afford the luxury of a rare penalty miss from Mohamed Salah in between goals as they won their fifth straight game to take a two-point lead in the new league format.
Against the flow of play in the second half, Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty that would have tied the score for Real Madrid and was badly shackled on a dismal night for the Spaniards, who are currently 24th in the 36-team league.
In front of a giddy Kop end at Anfield, Mac Allister scored the first goal in the 52nd minute following a clean one-two with Conor Bradley as Liverpool dominated possession and opportunities against the Champions League winners.
In the 76th minute, Gakpo headed a cross from Andy Robertson past Thibaut Courtois to seal the victory.
The outcome maintained manager Arne Slot’s brilliant start at Liverpool, who lead the Premier League by eight points and have a perfect Champions League record.
They also becomes the first team to confirm their place in the round of 16 or knockout phase play-offs
