Trent’s return, Slot’s set-piece machine and Bradley burns bright – Liverpool-Real storylines
Alexander-Arnold gets booed by Liverpool fans on Anfield return
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Trent’s fruitless return
Nobody said it was going to be easy for Trent Alexander-Arnold. The pre-match chat around the town was instructive, with Liverpool fans asking one question and one question only to their travelling Madrid equivalents – “What do you think of Trent?”
The Madridistas seemed blissfully unaware of the emotiveness of his return, mentioning his injury and “how he hasn’t quite got going yet”.
Inside the stadium, it seemed a mixed bag. Trent hugged Dominik Szoboszlai during the pre-match pitch walk, and whilst there were boos when he emerged and when his name was read out, perhaps that was group mentality, with those fans nearer the Madrid bench giving him some hearty applause when he took his seat before kick-off.
He emerged to warm up with around 20 minutes to go with his side 1-0 down to another largely frosty reception – and then suddenly there he was – dressed all in white, waiting to come on under the black Anfield sky.
If the reception was frosty earlier, then it ratcheted up a level at this point, with the boos and whistles deafening as he got his first touch.
Chants for Steven Gerrard, Conor Bradley and Andy Robertson rang around the stadium thereafter, and it was altogether peculiar watching Trent attack down the same flank against a player – Robertson – with whom he formed one of the best full-back partnerships in English football history.
With a largely forgettable cameo and a defeat, it was not a successful homecoming – but with these two sides having met eight times since the start of the 2017/18 season, it might not be long before the next chapter.
Mac Allister sends Anfield wild with winner against Real – ‘Pressure has told’
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Slot’s set-piece machine
First, Arsenal used their set-pieces to break open a Spanish side – Atletico Madrid – in the previous UEFA Champions League matchweek, and now it was Liverpool’s turn to export their quality to Europe as Real were simply unable to deal with their threat.
A sequence early in the second half encapsulated it. First, Virgil van Dijk’s header from a corner was the result of a good delivery and movement, with only a brilliant Thibaut Courtois save preventing the opener.
From the resulting corner, there was perhaps an even better stop, as Courtois once more flung himself up to tip the ball over, and then, from a third delivery, Hugo Ekitike headed wide by inches.
Finally, though, Alexis Mac Allister latched onto another excellent set-piece delivery – this time, Szoboszlai’s free kick – and nodded past Courtois.
Four set-pieces in quick succession, to a blueprint of excellent delivery, strong headers of the ball and creative movement show that Slot’s men are eyeing goal threats from a method that has proved so fruitful this term.
Highlights: Mac Allister goal sees Reds beat Real, Alexander-Arnold booed
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Bradley loves playing Madrid
The last time Conor Bradley played Real Madrid, he left Kylian Mbappe in an unceremonious heap on the Anfield turf, as his side ran out 2-0 winners last term.
Watch: Every angle of Bradley’s ‘fantastic, strong’ tackle on Mbappe
Video credit: TNT Sports
And as the final whistle approached this time around, he did the same to Vinicius Junior down near the Liverpool goalline, again to rapturous cheers, as the Brazilian suffered a difficult evening up against the Northern Irishman.
Bradley, due to Alexander-Arnold’s prior presence at the club and injury problems, perhaps did not kick on from that breakout display last season – but can he use it as the springboard this time?
Courtois channels 2022 final
How many times has Courtois turned in elite, game-changing performances in the UEFA Champions League?
One such occasion, of course, was against Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League final, when the Madrid keeper made nine saves, seven of which were inside the box.
And Reds fans must have had deja vu on this viewing as the Belgian delivered save after save to repel Liverpool.
First, he stopped Szoboszlai just shy of the half-hour mark by spreading his giant frame when a goal looked certain, an effort that Opta recorded as 0.423 xG (expected goals).
Good saves followed from Szoboszlai – a shot that looked, from directly behind it, as if it was destined for the corner – and from Mac Allister late on in the first period, as The Reds just could not find a way through.
And there were even greater heroics from the Belgian right at the outset of the second period when he kept out the aforementioned headers from Van Dijk and Ekitike.
Finally, though, he was beaten – Mac Allister getting so close to the goal that the Belgian was simply unable to get his hands up quickly enough.
Courtois looked wholly dejected, remonstrating with Eder Militao, slapping the post and hanging his head – but in truth, there was not much, this time, that he could have done.
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