LIVE: Liverpool has stunned reigning champions Real Madrid with a stunning goal just four minutes into their Champions League Round of 16 clash – a rematch of last year’s title decider.
Club-record signing Darwin Nunez was criticised for some teething issues as he adjusted to life in England, but the Uruguayan striker has hit a rich vein of form – and his confidence was on full display as he pulled off an audacious flick to open the scoring.
The ball was played wide to Mohamed Salah, who curled in a perfectly-weighted pass as Nunez darted behind the defence, before flicking or back-heeling the ball past Madrid gloveman Thibaut Courtois.
Courtois, the star of Madrid’s 1-0 win in last year’s final, then made a terrible mistake, failing to control a back-pass and gifting it to Mohamed Salah just seven yards from goal, with the Egyptian poking home.
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Liverpool, who narrowly missed out on an unprecedented quadruple last season, have suffered a hangover during the current campaign, out of both domestic cups and 19 points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.
But back-to-back wins over Everton and Newcastle have lifted the mood around Anfield and given Klopp’s men a shot at qualifying for the Champions League next season via a top-four finish in the English top flight.
TEAM NEWS
Darwin Nunez shrugged off a shoulder injury to start for Liverpool as the Reds seek revenge against Real Madrid for defeat in last season’s Champions League final on Tuesday.
The Uruguay attacker was forced off after scoring in Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Newcastle on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp named an unchanged team from that victory on Tyneside as Liverpool aim to take a lead to defend in Madrid from the first leg of the Champions League last 16 tie.
That includes 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic, the youngest player to ever start a Champions League match for the Reds.
Klopp said: “I don’t see it as a test. It’s just an opportunity for him. I didn’t even speak to him about it… I think he’s ready for it, that’s why he starts. If he’s not ready for it, it’s my fault so he cannot lose.”
The defending champions are depleted by the absence of Aurelien Tchouameni and Toni Kroos due to illness.
Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga will flank Luka Modric in midfield as a result.
Vinicius Junior, who scored the only goal when the sides met in Paris last May, starts up front alongside Karim Benzema and Rodrygo.
“It’s the Champions League, it’s one of the biggest games in the world. It will be a top football game and I’m really happy we can play it now,” Klopp said at his pre-match press conference on Monday.
“If it had been four weeks ago maybe it would’ve been different, but life is all about timing and maybe we found our feet right in time for this game.
“Now we have these two results and hopefully we can build on it, but we need to play two super games to get through.”
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Madrid have been Liverpool’s conquerors in the Champions League three times in the previous five seasons.
The European champions won the 2018 final in Kyiv 3-1 and by the same score on aggregate in a quarter-final tie between the sides in 2020/2021.
But Carlo Ancelotti’s men rode their luck to win in Paris, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois picking up the man-of-the-match award for a series of stunning saves.
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MATCH CENTRE: Live stats, line-ups, and more!
TEAMS
Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Fabinho, Jordan Henderson (capt), Stefan Bajcetic; Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez Coach: Jurgen Klopp (GER)
Real Madrid (4-3-3) Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba; Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modric, Federico Valverde; Rodrygo, Karim Benzema (capt), Vinicius Junior Coach: Carlo Ancelotti (ITA)
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