Three Things We Learned From Liverpool's Dominant UCL Victory vs. Real Madrid | OneFootball

For the first time since 2009, Liverpool defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League, announcing itself as the team to beat in Europe.

Liverpool and Real Madrid squared off in the Champions League for the ninth time this decade. The Reds came into the match with four wins in their previous four UCL matches, putting them atop the standings with a perfect record. Carlo Ancelotti's side, meanwhile, already suffered two European defeats and arrived in England without the injured Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, David Alaba and Aurélien Tchouaméni.

The first half kicked off with the hosts firmly on the front foot. An awful giveaway by Kylian Mbappé sent Liverpool charging forward in the opening minutes of the match. Darwin Núñez delivered a hard strike that needed both a save from Thibaut Courtois and a goal line clearance from Raúl Asencio to keep the score level.

Despite enjoying the majority of possession and the better chances throughout the opening 45 minutes, Liverpool could not find the game's opener. Real Madrid, on the other hand, retreated into the locker room without a shot on target.

Liverpool came surging out of the tunnel, pinning the visitors to their own half as soon as the second half kicked off. Alexis Mac Allister finally found the breakthrough in the 52nd minute after a lovely one-two with Conor Bradley. Real Madrid had a chance to equalize from the spot just nine minutes later, but Mbappé's effort was saved.

Mohamed Salah was the next man up to try his luck from the spot, but he too failed to convert. Cody Gakpo finally found the second goal of the match in the 76th minute, sealing Liverpool's 2–0 victory.

Here's three things we learned from the UCL clash.

Kylian Mbappé is Not the Superstar Who Was Promised

All eyes were on Mbappé at Anfield. With Vinícius Júnior injured, the Frenchman got to start on the left wing, his preferred position, and had free rein to lead Real Madrid's attack. Except his two highlights from the night were a giveaway that almost led to a goal and a missed penalty.

It is becoming clearer and clearer that Mbappé is a shell of his former self since arriving at Madrid. An adjustment period is normal, especially going from Ligue 1 competition to playing clubs like Barcelona and Liverpool in his first few months with Los Blancos. Except Real Madrid cannot afford to wait for one of the best goalscorers in the world to find his form.

If Mbappé continues to underperform, Real Madrid will find itself with a mountain to climb in both La Liga and the Champions League. In fact, with six points out of a possible 15 in the UCL, Los Blancos are already in trouble.

Liverpool is the Team to Beat in Europe

Liverpool continues to shine under Arne Slot. Even when things don't go the Reds' way, they still manage to pull off a result that seemed inevitable. Núñez, Salah and Luis Díaz couldn't find the back of the net against Real Madrid? Enter Mac Allister and Gakpo. Andy Robertson concedes a penalty? Caoimhin Kelleher makes the save.

Then there's the consistency of Slot's defense. Liverpool has now gone four consecutive matches without conceding a goal in the Champions League. Christian Pulisic was the last person to score against the Reds in European play back in September. When players like Bradley can step in for players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and not miss a beat, a backline, and therefore a team, is poised for success.

With each new victory, Liverpool proves it is a real title contender, both in Europe and the Premier League. It might be early days in both competitions, but there is a very short list of teams that currently look capable of taking down Slot's side. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City is the next team to try its luck this weekend in the Premier League.

Real Madrid Needs Fede Valverde Back in the Midfield

With Carvajal and Lucas Vázquez injured, Fede Valverde has been Ancelotti's emergency right back. The Uruguayan impressed on the right flank against Osasuna and Leganes, but he is not a long-term solution for Los Blancos' backline. In fact, his presence was greatly missed in the midfield against Liverpool.

When Valverde is in the middle of the park, he's the one switching the field of play, winning back possession and taking audacious efforts that find the back of the net more often than net. Without him in the midfield, Jude Bellingham is forced to drop back and pitch in defensively, leaving no one to link up with Mbappé and in this case, Brahim Díaz.

Vázquez might be a defensive liability, but Ancelotti will be eager to get the Spaniard back on right flank so one of his best midfielders can return to his natural position, especially if Eduardo Camavinga's injury keeps him off the pitch for an extended period.