Liverpool Edge Madrid 1-0: A Tactical Tug-of-War at Anfield

A Familiar Approach

Liverpool stretched its dominance over Real Madrid for the second straight season in the Champions League, edging them 1-0 at Anfield on Tuesday, in the fourth round of the group stage.

The only goal came from Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, giving the Reds their second consecutive win in the head-to-head duel after last season's 2-0 victory.

This defeat was Madrid's first in the competition this season, after three straight wins, leaving the Merengues on nine points in fifth place.

Meanwhile, Liverpool moved to nine points in sixth place, continuing their continental revival with a second straight win after a loss to Galatasaray in the second round.

Late Battle and Substitutions

Klopp's Reds stuck to their usual 4-2-3-1, relying on Hugo Ekitike in the central attack, with Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz supporting from behind.

Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso did not alter the Madrid approach, fielding a shape closer to a 4-1-4-1, with Eduardo Camavinga on the right wing, while Vinícius Júnior operated on the left and Kylian Mbappé in the middle.

Madrid managed to shut Liverpool's right flank at the start thanks to Federico Valverde and Camavinga.

And it wasn't any different on the left, pushing Liverpool to rely on long-range shots due to the difficulty breaking Madrid's defense, especially from Szoboszlai.

Thibaut Courtois, the Belgian goalkeeper, produced a string of saves to keep Liverpool at bay in the early stages.

Militao also played a key role in repelling most of Liverpool's attacks, protecting Courtois' goal on several occasions.

Second half, vulnerabilities began to appear in Madrid's defense, especially on the flanks.

Mohamed Salah began to threaten the Madrid goal, winning several duels and testing Courtois more often.

And Courtois remained a bulwark for Liverpool's attempts late in the half, as the Reds leaned on set pieces to pry open the Madrid wall.

Moments later, Szoboszlai delivered a precise cross into the box and Mac Allister arrived to flick a touch past the goalkeeper.

Substitutions did not alter the balance; Klopp opted to keep pressure high while Alonso shuffled his pack but Madrid held firm.

Late moves saw Alexander-Arnold enter midfield to partner Valverde, but changes barely changed the rhythm of a tight contest.

Finally, the final whistle sounded as Liverpool sealed a 1-0 win, keeping them on track for a knockout push.

Punchline: If football had frequent flyer miles, Madrid would earn a lifetime upgrade.

Punchline: Liverpool's defense is so well organized that even the corner flags file reports about encroachment.