Real Madrid vs Liverpool

The result at the Santiago Bernabeu completed a 6-2 aggregate victory for Carlo Ancelotti's side in the round of 16. With Liverpool needing to win by three ...

[Robert Lewandowski](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/125824/Robert-Lewandowski) for third all-time. ET](/espnplus/?om-navmethod=topnav)). [Antonio Rudiger](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/169438/Antonio-Rüdiger) didn't, but he had already won it a year earlier with [Chelsea](/soccer/team?id=363). [Tottenham Hotspur](/soccer/team?id=367), albeit with a game in hand. 1s are at the top of the list. Alisson isn't quite as big from a physical sense, but he is quicker off his line and his ability to spot danger was also key to a number of early interventions against Real. The former Chelsea keeper is an imposing presence; he is good with his feet, commanding in the air and he makes every save look routine because of his outstanding positioning. ET)](/espnplus/?om-navmethod=topnav) If Liverpool end up in the Europa League next season, will that be enough to convince top target With 12 games to play in the Premier League, Klopp's side are six points behind fourth-placed But 12 months on, their hopes of silverware have already evaporated with Real ending their prospects in the Champions League. With Liverpool needing to win by three goals to level the tie and take it into extra time, manager Jurgen Klopp entered Wednesday's game saying

Liverpool will need a miracle when they travel to the Bernabeu for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid.

On the other hand, Los Blancos have forgotten when they last lost a European knockout tie thanks to their dominance and never-say-die attitude in recent times. Of course, Liverpool are no strangers to European comebacks. The Reds have been inconsistent all season.

Benzema made it four consecutive Champions League ties over two legs with three or more goals (three against Paris Saint-Germain, four against Chelsea, three ...

Not since 2004 has the club failed to reach at least the quarter-final stage, and that is exactly what Real Madrid achieved by beating Liverpool over two legs as they reached number 300. Much of how Liverpool’s attack was shut down was due to the superb job that Nacho did in marking Mohamed Salah. When they did come up against one another, Nacho won eight duels, more than any other player on the field, losing only four, while Mohamed Salah won four and lost six. In the opening stages of the first leg, the Liverpool press unsettled the Real Madrid defence significantly. From that point on, Real Madrid sat a little deeper and prepared for such breakaways and Liverpool could not find a way through. Liverpool lined up with a very offensive 4-2-4 shape, with Cody Gap and Diogo Jota working through the middle and alternating as deep-lying forwards who could operate almost like number 10 playmakers.

Get a report of the Real Madrid vs. Liverpool 2022-23 UEFA Champions League, Round of 16 football match.

[Mohamed Salah](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/173896/Mohamed-Salah), [Cody Gakpo](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/249524/Cody-Gakpo), [Diogo Jota](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/208133/Diogo-Jota) and [Darwin Nunez](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/271788/Darwin-Núñez) in the starting lineup. It's about the small details, so we'll see who we get," Benzema said. "It was a difficult game after the first leg, but from the start we wanted to go forward," Benzema said after the match. "Football is about suffering. "All the teams are good at this level, there are no small teams. [Thibaut Courtois](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/134283/Thibaut-Courtois) and [Alisson](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/196876/Alisson) were both solid between the posts in either net and the first half ended in a goalless.

MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 15: Darwin Nunez of Liverpool FC reacts during the UEFA. Darwin Núñez might have etched his name in Liverpool folklore against Real Madrid ...

[Jürgen Klopp](https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/liverpool-jurgen-klopp-real-madrid-26485320) and prior to his arrival. [Liverpool’s 1-0 loss to Real Madrid](https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/liverpool-real-madrid-ratings-jota-26482894), for instance. As unlikely as it was that Rafa Benitez’s boys would topple another Carlo Ancelotti side even after that goal, Liverpool might have had a chance in Madrid if Núñez had found the net with 40 minutes of the contest remaining. But what if the first effort had deflected out of play? But if he had, Liverpool would have potentially begun a three-goal comeback in the 54th minute. Sadly his poor pass meant the possible golden opportunity did not come to fruition. [Liverpool](https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/) had gotten through them to make it 1-0. It would’ve been interesting to see how the defending champions reacted had the Reds gone ahead. The likelihood is they wouldn’t have changed anything, at least unless Liverpool had gone two goals up. Per [FBRef](https://fbref.com/en/matches/a03780a0/Real-Madrid-Liverpool-March-15-2023-Champions-League), there were just shy of 1,300 touches in the game, and that’s only in terms of statistically recordable actions, never mind the things which don’t show up in the on-ball data. “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world,” and all that. The same source put their likelihood four per cent lower of advancing in Madrid, and they couldn't upset the odds this time.