Anfield Bite: Mac Allister Strikes to Sink Real Madrid in a Narrow Champions League Triumph
4 November 2025
Match Report
Liverpool earned a precious 1-0 victory over Real Madrid on Tuesday night at Anfield, in the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Alexis Mac Allister headed home the winner in the 61st minute, and the goal was later confirmed by VAR, sealing the win for the hosts.
Madrid registered their first European defeat of the campaign, remaining on 9 points but slipping to fifth, while Liverpool moved to 9 points in sixth in a group that remains highly tight.
Key Moments
The game started at a brisk pace with both sides looking to impose their style. Liverpool pressed high and created several half-chances, while Courtois had to be alert to deny early efforts from the Reds.
Real Madrid countered with pace and threat from Vinícius Júnior, but the Liverpool defense and goalkeeper kept their lines intact. A VAR review in the 30th minute ruled out a potential handball call, leaving the half scoreless at the interval.
In the second half, Liverpool found a breakthrough from a well-worked set-piece. The ball was delivered into a crowded box, and Mac Allister rose highest to head it past the Madrid keeper, with the goal later confirmed after a brief VAR check.
Madrid pushed for an equalizer, but Liverpool's organizing briefly stifled any clear-cut chances. Trent Alexander-Arnold even entered the fray amid a chorus of jeers from some Liverpool fans, a reminder of the unsettled transfer chatter around him, before the defense held firm late on.
The match finished 1-0 to Liverpool, a result built on solid defending and a decisive moment from Mac Allister.
The aftermath saw Madrid’s first European loss of the season, their 9-point tally unchanged but their league position affected, while Liverpool claimed a crucial win that keeps the group drama very much alive. Final whistle, and the Anfield crowd could afford a relieved smile—crime scene: zero goals conceded, one goal delivered, three points bagged.
Punchline time: If football were a sniper, this game would be a perfect headshot—precise, cold, and somehow leaving the crowd speechless at the end. And here’s another one: I told my jokes to the defense; they said, “We’ve heard enough headshots today, keep the angles tight.”
