Mac Allister scores as Liverpool beat Real Madrid 1-0 in Champions League

Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister headed location a second-half victor arsenic the squad earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory implicit Real Madrid successful a conflict betwixt European giants astatine Anfield, with Madrid grateful to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for keeping the people down.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was met with a hostile reception connected his instrumentality to Liverpool arsenic a precocious substitute connected Tuesday, and the location assemblage roared the Reds implicit the enactment for what could beryllium a turning constituent successful their season.

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Both sides are present tied connected 9 points from their opening 4 games of the league phase.

Liverpool had mislaid six of their past 8 games successful each competitions, but stopped the rot by beating Aston Villa connected Saturday, arsenic Arne Slot resorted to a much tried and trusted squad selection.

Florian Wirtz replaced Cody Gakpo successful the lone alteration from the weekend, and Liverpool again looked much similar the broadside that stormed to the Premier League rubric past season.

Madrid had mislaid conscionable doubly successful 20 games since erstwhile Liverpool favourite Xabi Alonso took charge, but relied connected Courtois to debar a akin scoreline to their lone erstwhile decision this play – 5-2 astatine Atletico Madrid.

The Belgian broke Liverpool hearts erstwhile the sides met successful the 2022 Champions League last with a man-of-the-match display, arsenic Los Blancos won 1-0 successful Paris.

Courtois’s engaged nighttime began erstwhile Wirtz teed up Dominik Szoboszlai, who failed to bushed the erstwhile Chelsea stopper from point-blank range.

Madrid were past rescued by a VAR reappraisal that deemed that Aurelien Tchouameni’s limb was successful a earthy presumption arsenic the Frenchman blocked a changeable wrong his ain box.

Courtois was tested erstwhile much by a thunderous Szoboszlai changeable arsenic Liverpool pushed for the opener.

Kylian Mbappe spurned the visitors’ champion accidental to level erstwhile helium skewed wide from the borderline of the box.

Mbappe’s scintillating signifier has been the large origin for Madrid’s good commencement to the campaign. The French striker had lone failed to people doubly successful 17 erstwhile games for nine and country.

It took 45 minutes for Madrid’s star-studded guardant enactment to muster a changeable connected target, erstwhile Jude Bellingham jinked wide wrong the container and fired a debased effort that Giorgi Mamardashvili blocked with his feet.

Courtois continued to defy Slot’s men successful a blistering commencement to the 2nd fractional arsenic helium clawed distant almighty headers from Virgil van Dijk and Hugo Ekitike earlier denying Szoboszlai erstwhile much from a escaped kick.

It took the English champions an hour, but finally, the elephantine Madrid fig 1 was beaten erstwhile Mac Allister powered successful a header from Szoboszlai’s escaped kick.

Mac Allister celebrates scoring with Ekitike [Jason Cairnduff/Action Images via Reuters]

Alexander-Arnold was met by a chorus of boos 9 minutes from time, erstwhile helium entered for his archetypal quality since September 16 aft a hamstring injury. A mural of Alexander-Arnold adjacent to Anfield had been vandalised successful the hours earlier the game.

Vinicius Junior, meanwhile, was well-marshalled by Alexander-Arnold’s one-time deputy, Conor Bradley, arsenic the Spanish giants failed to people for the archetypal clip this season.

Courtois produced 1 past good halt from Gakpo to guarantee a nervy finale, but Liverpool’s much-criticised defence stood steadfast for their archetypal Champions League cleanable expanse of the season.

“It was a bully crippled against a truly bully team,” Mac Allister told Amazon Prime aft the game.

“It is an important win, but we cognize it doesn’t mean thing arsenic we finished archetypal successful the archetypal [phase] of the Champions League past season, and aft that, we were retired rather early. So we request to support connected going.”

Courtois said that Madrid needed to play amended and with much composure, adding that they made excessively galore mistakes astir the punishment area.

“A lucifer similar this is decided by the tiny details, but we request to get amended against large teams distant from home,” helium said.

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich made it 16 wins from 16 games this play to underline their credentials arsenic aboriginal Champions League favourites, beating holders Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 away, arsenic Luis Diaz scored 2 goals and was shown a reddish card, connected Tuesday.

The Colombian winger struck doubly earlier being sent disconnected for a convulsive tackle connected Achraf Hakimi connected the changeable of half-time.

PSG, who reduced the arrears done Joao Neves, dominated possession aft the break, but failed to marque it afloat count, and slipped to their archetypal decision successful the contention since past season’s quarterfinal 2nd limb against Aston Villa.

Tottenham besides had their goalscorer sent off, arsenic Brennan Johnson saw reddish aft scoring their opener, but inactive cruised to a 4-0 triumph against Copenhagen.

Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid defeated Union Saint-Gilloise 3-1, Juventus fought backmost for a 1-1 gully with Sporting, Olympiacos and PSV played retired a 1-1 draw, and Monaco defeated Bodo/Glimt 1-0.

Earlier, Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 triumph astatine Slavia Prague, and Napoli were held to a goalless gully by Eintracht Frankfurt.