Our 3️⃣ points as Real Madrid experience keeps Liverpool at bay | OneFootball

Real Madrid secured their place in the Champions League semi finals after drawing 0-0 against Liverpool, winning the tie 3-1 on aggregate.

Here are three points we took from the game …

Too little, too late

The way Liverpool started this match took us back in time. Fierce pressing, snapping into tackles, relentless waves of attack – we were just missing the famous Anfield crowd.

They created several openings in the first half but unfortunately for Jürgen Klopp, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Gini Wijnaldum were missing their shooting boots.

Unfortunately their first leg deficit was just too much to overcome. We’ve seen them do it before at home, but this was still an experienced Real Madrid side (even with injuries).

On another day things might have been different. But conceding those sloppy goals in Madrid gave them a mountain to climb and they couldn’t quite manage it.

Never rule them out

We’re not sure what deal Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid have made with the Champions League; but what we do know is that it was a fruitful one.

No matter their circumstances, injuries, players out of form, yellow card suspensions – they are always in the conversation for this title and their performance only proved that.

Their midfield of Casemiro, Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos is just so beautifully balanced. Those three do everything well and bring so much calm to the centre of the pitch.

But Courtois was solid when called upon, Karim Benzema lead the line expertly. They’ve been here before. These are winners who simply know what to do – never rule them out.

No Plan B?

It feels like a familiar story from this season, but unless Salah or Diogo Jota are scoring for Liverpool – goals don’t seem to be coming from anywhere else.

Andy Robertson has provided just five assists in over 35 appearances (none in the Champions League), while Trent Alexander-Arnold is below his usual level on six.

Even in midfield, they lack creativity and guile from a true ‘creative’ player and struggled to break Real Madrid down even with Thiago introduced as a second-half substitute.

Salah and Jota are brilliant goalscorers and usually, they find themselves on the scoresheet. But on nights like tonight when they don’t? You leave yourselves open to falling short.