Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid: Mac Allister and Gakpo keep Reds perfect

SoccerNews in English Premier League 27 Nov 2024

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Alexis Mac Allister and substitute Cody Gakpo were on target as Liverpool continued their perfect start to the Champions League with a 2-0 win over holders Real Madrid.

The result saw Liverpool earn their first win against Madrid at the ninth attempt, and there was no stopping Arne Slot’s side on an enthralling night at Anfield.

The hosts started strongly to the encounter and almost found themselves ahead in the fifth minute when Darwin Nunez’s strike was saved by Thibaut Courtois, with Raul on hand to clear the ball off the line.

Nunez continued to be Liverpool’s main threat in the first half, seeing a close-range effort repelled by Courtois before sending a header narrowly wide of the far-left post with a deft header after being picked out by Mac Allister’s delicately floated pickout.

Slot’s side would, however, take a deserved lead seven minutes after the restart when neat interplay between Conor Bradley and Mac Allister resulted in the latter picking out the bottom left corner to send Anfield into raptures.

However, Liverpool’s good work looked to have been undone when Andrew Robertson’s clumsy challenge on Lucas Vazquez inside the box offered Kylian Mbappe the opportunity to level the contest from 12 yards, but the Frenchman saw his effort brilliantly saved by Caoimhin Kelleher.

Mohamed Salah was then tripped at the other end by Ferland Mendy nine minutes later, offering the chance for the Reds to close out the contest, but he too could not convert from the spot, scuffing his spot-kick that struck the post on its way behind, but Liverpool were able to seal the win shortly after.

A quick corner routine saw Robertson play a short one-two with Curtis Jones, with the Scotland captain delivering onto the head of Gakpo to finish, putting them top of the Champions League table with five wins from five.

Data Debrief: Ruthless Reds march on

After suffering heartache against Madrid in their recent Champions League encounters, Liverpool produced arguably their most accomplished display against Los Blancos.

The Reds were deserving of their victory on Wednesday, ending the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.53 to Madrid’s 1.24.

Liverpool have now scored in their last five games in the Champions League, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of seven games between September 2022 and February 2023.

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