Almost a year after their painful loss on the same pitch, Real Madrid once again succumbed to Liverpool at Anfield, in a match that recalled scenes from last season, but this time under the new leadership of Spanish coach Xabi Alonso, who faced his former team for the first time on a familiar ground, according to The Athletic.
In November 2024, Real Madrid, led by Carlo Ancelotti, lost 0-2 to Liverpool in the group stage, and the recent 0-1 loss ended a streak of positive results for the team under Alonso, who had previously achieved three consecutive wins in the Champions League and ten wins out of eleven matches in La Liga, including the famous 2-1 "El Clásico" victory over Barcelona.
However, these results did not erase the fears raised after heavy defeats to Paris Saint-Germain 0-4 in the Club World Cup in July and to Atlético Madrid 2-5 in September, which cast doubts on Real’s ability to compete with the elite in decisive encounters.
Alonso sought to downplay the impact of the loss, saying: “There are different ways to lose, and today we lost in a completely different manner than when we fell at the Metropolitano. The team fought and gave everything.”
Despite the fighting spirit, the match revealed painful lessons for the Royal team.
Real Madrid managed only two shots on target throughout the match; the first by Federico Valverde and the second by Jude Bellingham, a scene reminiscent of last season’s failure on the same pitch. Notably, the attacking duo of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior again failed to create threats.
Mbappé, who was recently crowned European Golden Shoe winner, was unable to escape the tight marking of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, appearing isolated far from the penalty area and losing most aerial duels within it.
Vinícius was a shadow of himself, failing to take any shots on target, succeeding in only one of six dribbles, and unable to deliver any effective crosses, thanks to the outstanding defensive performance of young Connor Bradley, who completely neutralized his runs.
Alonso admitted in the press conference: “We struggled to reach the final line, Liverpool defended deep, and it was hard to cause real damage in those areas.”
The noisy atmosphere at Anfield was a psychological test for the team, especially amid the boos directed at Trent Alexander-Arnold, who returned to his former home.
Although Real Madrid players showed more commitment than last season, their lack of leadership and experience was evident at critical moments.
After the departure of legends such as Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, Luka Modrić, and Nacho, the team is in a transitional phase led by a young generation including players like Álvaro Carriéras (22 years), Dein Huijsen (20), Franco Mastantuono (18), alongside newcomer Alexander-Arnold.
Alonso acknowledged a problem dealing with difficult situations, saying: “We have to learn how not to concede goals easily and avoid mistakes or giving the opponent free kicks at the wrong time.”
Alonso used the same asymmetrical 4-4-2 formation from the "El Clásico," but placed Eduardo Camavinga on the right wing, a move that didn’t succeed.
After Liverpool scored in the 61st minute, Alonso delayed substitutions until the 68th minute when Rodrygo replaced Camavinga, but the change had no impact.
Rodrygo, who has lost his spark this season, hadn’t scored in eight months, lost nine balls, and created no chances.
A late substitution came in the 81st minute with Alexander-Arnold replacing Arda Güler, but he seemed affected by the crowd’s pressure, while Brahim Diaz entered in the 89th minute for the injured Valverde without changing the match.
These slow substitutions and lack of courage to integrate youth repeated the same criticisms previously directed at Ancelotti.
If it weren’t for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’s peak performance, the result would have been heavier. The Belgian keeper saved his goal from four clear chance attempts, including three stunning saves from Dominik Szoboszlai shots, recalling his heroic performance in the 2022 Paris final that granted Madrid their 14th Champions League title.
But as observers say, when the goalkeeper is the best player in the team, it’s not a positive sign.
Liverpool had 9 shots on target with an expected goals total of 2.58, compared to only 0.45 for Real Madrid, before Alexis Mac Allister decided the match with the winning goal.
Alonso commented on the performance: “The worrying thing is that we have to learn. Courtois was amazing, but we cannot rely on him every match.”
Thus, Real Madrid’s struggles against top teams continue, having kept a clean sheet only once this season in a hard-fought 1-0 win over Juventus, reflecting the long road ahead for Alonso’s project to build a team capable of competing at the highest European level.
