Arne Slot’s Liverpool continued their fabulous start to the season by beating Real Madrid 2-0 at Anfield on Wednesday the 27th of November, 2024. They have made light of what looked like a very tough set of fixtures in the competition to claim five wins from five. They sit top of the pile and are the only team in the competition with a 100% record.
They also lead the Premier League by a massive eight points after 12 games, having won 10 of those and been beaten just once. Fears that the club might suffer a major slump following the departure of Jürgen Klopp have proved totally unfounded and Reds supporters will be dreaming of claiming a second Premier League title. The fact that Man City are seemingly falling apart, winless in six, only adds to that feeling and Slot’s men are now odds-on favourites for domestic glory this term.
However, of all their wins this term, it is the one against Real Madrid that will have probably been savoured the most. The Reds have lost two Champions League finals to Los Blancos in recent years and prior to Wednesday’s game had failed to beat the Spanish giants in their last eight attempts.
Reds Better Side in Thrilling Clash
Another special European night at Anfield
Relive the action from our 2-0 win over Real Madrid in the #UCL pic.twitter.com/ZKtesSSkr3
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 28, 2024
Prior to the game, many felt this was a great chance for Liverpool to end their Real curse and so it proved. They were the better side throughout, although Carlo Ancelotti’s men had their moments, and fully deserved the victory. The home side dominated possession, having 63% of the ball, and created a number of excellent chances.
They spurned a number of opportunities to take the lead before MacAllister put them in front after 52 minutes with a brilliant team goal that he finished superbly. Less than 10 minutes later the away team were awarded a penalty after a rash challenge by Andy Robertson that gave them a gilt-edged chance to get right back in the clash but Caoimhin Kelleher saved from Kylian Mbappe.
Nine minutes after that the Reds were given a spot-kick of their own and another of the game’s greats stepped up. Amazingly Mo Salah blasted the ball wide and those inside the ground must have feared that the miss would spur Real on. As it was, Liverpool gave themselves breathing space not long after, with Cody Gakpo planting a firm header into the back of the net after a well-worked corner routine.
Liverpool saw out the game to earn their first win over the serial winners of the Champions League since back in the 2008/09 season. Back then the Reds won both legs in the Round of 16, claiming an impressive 5-0 aggregate victory. This time around their win sent them top of the table and all but secured their place in the next round, and Anfield was rapturous at the end.
Eight to Forget
As said, Liverpool had failed to beat Real Madrid in any of the last eight clashes between the two giants. Most of the meetings, in fact, resulted in wins for the Spanish side, with details of the clashes below.
- 15th March 2023 – Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool
- 21st February 2023 – Liverpool 2-5 Real Madrid
- 28th May 2022 – Liverpool 0-1 Real Madrid
- 14th April 2021 – Liverpool 0-0 Real Madrid
- 6th April 2021 – Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool
- 26th May 2018 – Liverpool 1-3 Real Madrid
- 4th November 2014 – Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool
- 22nd October 2014 – Liverpool 0-3 Real Madrid
Over these eight games the Reds had managed just a single draw, suffering seven defeats. They had conceded 17 goals and scored just four times. And, as said, two of the defeats, in May 2022 and May 2018, were in the biggest game of all: the UCL final. It should be noted, however, that back in 1981, when Liverpool were at their very best, they did beat the Spaniards 1-0 in the final of the European Cup, so it has certainly not been purely one-way traffic.
Reds Going from Strength to Strength But Real in Trouble
As said, Liverpool have been stunning this term, surpassing the hopes and dreams of even the most optimistic of fans. In competitive games Slot boasts a win percentage of over 89%, having led his new club to victory in 17 of the 19 games they have played. They have drawn one and lost just a single clash, scoring 44 goals (2.32 per game) and conceding a mere 12 (0.63 per match).
They are favourites to win the Premier League at a best price of 10/11, with Arsenal well back at 17/5 and Manchester City available at 4/1. Slot and co will be targeting multiple trophies this term too, and they can be backed at 9/2 for the Champions League, where they are also favourites (with Man City next in the odds and the Gunners third). The Reds are joint-favourites for the EFL Cup too, where they are in the last eight and can be backed at 11/4, the same price as Arsenal. Last but not least we have the FA Cup, with Liverpool not set to enter the competition until January. Both Man City are Arsenal are available at shorter than the 9/1 you can get on the Kop outfit but who knows, could Liverpool pull off the quadruple?
Real Four Points Behind Barca in La Liga
That is of course all a long way off but as things stand Real Madrid would very probably be more than happy with any silverware this term. They are four points behind Barca in La Liga, albeit with a game in hand, but their Catalan rivals are looking very strong. As for the Champions League, somehow Ancelotti’s stars find themselves down in 24th position in the standings.
On the bright side, they are above PSG and currently occupy the last spot that would extend their stay in the competition. However, to put their performance into perspective, after five of their eight league-phase games they find themselves below Celtic, Dinamo Zagreb and Club Brugge!
There is a lot of work for Real to do to make the top eight and avoid the Champions League play-off round but of course they have what it takes to reel off three wins and do just that. As for the Reds, with their Real Madrid curse ended and confidence flowing, the sky is the limit.