Real Madrid Crumbles in Lackluster Display as Alexander-Arnold's Dream Homecoming Turns Nightmare

Real Madrid endured only their second loss of the campaign on Tuesday night, going down 1–0 to Liverpool following a disappointing 90-minute display at Anfield.

The Madrid outfit entered the encounter as one of merely five unblemished sides in the Champions League, but they encountered their toughest challenge in the reigning English titleholders, a challenge that Real Madrid ultimately couldn't overcome.

Arne Slot's squad, who had managed just one shutout in their previous 11 fixtures, kept Los Blancos off the scoresheet. Alexis Mac Allister's header in the 61st minute proved sufficient to claim all three points for Liverpool, ending Real Madrid's six-match winning run.

Trent Alexander-Arnold could only watch from the sidelines for most of the evening as what was expected to be a joyous homecoming at Anfield turned disappointing.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Liverpool (4-1-4-1)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—8.2: Another exceptional display against Liverpool. Courtois was the sole reason Real Madrid remained competitive.

RB: Federico Valverde—7.1: Effectively neutralized Wirtz, though Real Madrid urgently required Valverde's composure and creativity in central areas.

CB: Éder Militão—7.1: Below his usual standards on an evening where Los Blancos desperately needed defensive leadership.

CB: Dean Huijsen—6.4: Appeared overwhelmed. Huijsen's performance was marked by a reckless error that almost handed Liverpool a goal and a questionable challenge in midfield that earned him a booking.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—7.1: Challenged by Salah's pace and power, but stood his ground. The fullback recorded the most tackles in the contest.

DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.5: Fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty. The French midfielder was frequently overrun by his defensive responsibilities and received little assistance from his colleagues.

RW: Eduardo Camavinga—6.1: A display he'll wish to forget. Camavinga was careless with the ball and offered virtually nothing on the right flank.

AM: Arda Güler—6.8: Found it difficult to influence proceedings and connect with Mbappé in a showing reminiscent of his Clásico performance.

AM: Jude Bellingham—7.2: Spent most of his time defending and unnecessarily gave away the set piece that led to Liverpool's winner.

LW: Vinícius Júnior—6.6: Provided some vital energy to Real Madrid's offensive play, but again depended too much on individual skill and failed to create sufficient opportunities for his teammates.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—7.0: Unable to make an impact, even when dropping deeper to help his side gain some control at Anfield. Mbappé was invisible for the first time this campaign.

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Fran González (GK), Ferland Mendy, Fran García, Raúl Asencio, Dani Ceballos, Endrick, Gonzalo García.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI:Giorgi Mamardashvili; Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz; Hugo Ekitiké.

Subs used: Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo, Milos Kerkez, Federico Chiesa.

Real Madrid Player of the Match: Thibaut Courtois

Player of the Match: Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)

Liverpool 1–0 Real Madrid—How It Unfolded at Anfield

The problematic tendencies from Carlo Ancelotti's final season in charge resurfaced immediately after kickoff at Anfield. Real Madrid granted Liverpool complete dominance of the match, retreating while the Reds controlled possession and pressured Los Blancos' defense.

The Spanish side gradually found their rhythm, but lacked creativity in attacking areas. Despite having plenty of room on the right side of the field, Real Madrid persistently crowded the left wing with minimal success.

The momentum quickly shifted back toward Liverpool, and an error by Dean Huijsen presented the Reds with the first significant chance of the encounter. Florian Wirtz capitalized on the defender's wayward back pass and found a charging Dominik Szoboszlai, who faced Thibaut Courtois alone.

The Belgian produced a magnificent save with his extended right foot while falling, maintaining the deadlock.

Slot's team maintained their intense pressure and forced another error, this time from Aurélien Tchouaméni, just two minutes later around the thirty-minute mark. The Frenchman handled the ball inside the penalty area, but a VAR check ruled against awarding Liverpool a spot kick.

Real Madrid exhaled with relief at the decision and entered the break having managed only two attempts on goal, neither seriously troubling Giorgi Mamardashvili.

The home side resumed their dominance in the second period, forcing consecutive excellent saves from Courtois once more. Virgil van Dijk could only grin in amazement when his powerful close-range header was denied by the keeper.

Los Blancos were clinging on desperately at Anfield, so when Liverpool finally broke through in the 61st minute, it felt inevitable. Szoboszlai delivered an accurate free kick, awarded after Jude Bellingham's foul, which Mac Allister converted with his head to give the Reds a 1–0 advantage.

Kylian Mbappé had a reasonable opportunity in the 75th minute, but his immediate effort went wide, taking Real Madrid's comeback hopes with it.

The visitors' only other notable second-half moment came when Alexander-Arnold made his anticipated injury comeback to a chorus of jeers from the Liverpool faithful at Anfield.

The England star played merely eight minutes plus added time at his former ground before having to accept a painful loss with his new club.

Liverpool vs. Real Madrid Halftime Stats

Liverpool vs. Real Madrid Full Time Statistics