Champions League: Mbappe misses penalty: Real Madrid loses to Liverpool

Traveling to Liverpool's Anfield, Real Madrid are in poor form, having lost two of their last three Champions League matches. The "Los Blancos" are currently ranked 21st, seven points behind league leaders Liverpool. Furthermore, manager Ancelotti's team is not at full strength. Key players like Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Aurelien Tchouameni, and David Alaba are all out long-term. Most recently, Vinicius has also suffered an injury with no return date in sight.

Therefore, Real Madrid had to field a team with many players out of position. Valverde, whose forte is playing as a central midfielder, was moved to play as a right-back. Three young players, Arda Guler, Raúl Asencio, and Brahim Diaz, all started. Before the match, Marca newspaper assessed this as a risky "gamble" for Real Madrid as they faced a Liverpool team in extremely high form.

Brahim Diaz (in white shirt) was given a chance by coach Ancelotti in the match against Liverpool.

With a makeshift lineup, Real Madrid had to defend deep in the first half. The Spanish side only had just over 30% possession, managed four shots, all of which missed the target. Brahim Diaz, in a rare instance of being trusted to move wide, constantly pressed Liverpool's defense. However, the Moroccan player often handled the ball hastily, causing Real Madrid's opportunities to slip away.

Meanwhile, despite his best efforts, Arda Güler only managed two shots that went wide. Mbappe, the most anticipated player in Real Madrid's attack, also had a lackluster performance, failing to create any dangerous opportunities.

Real Madrid's attack (in white shirts) was ineffective in the first half.

On the other side of the pitch, Liverpool dominated the game, pushing their attacking line high up the pitch right after the opening whistle. Coach Arne Slot's players played confidently, creating at least five clear-cut scoring opportunities, but the first half ended in a 0-0 draw.

Forward Darwin Núñez was deployed as the furthest forward and had three dangerous opportunities. In the 24th minute, Darwin Núñez capitalized on a scramble in the penalty area to shoot from close range. Unfortunately, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois rushed out in time to block Núñez's shot. In the 32nd minute, Darwin Núñez once again made a clever run, receiving a pass from Mac Allister and heading the ball just wide of the post. Earlier, in the 4th minute, the Uruguayan forward had a diagonal shot that beat Thibaut Courtois, but fortunately for Real Madrid, Raúl Asencio was in the right place at the right time to clear the ball off the goal line.

Darwin Núñez (in red, number 26) rattled Real Madrid's goal in the first half.

The scenario in the second half didn't change much, with Liverpool still being the more attacking team. However, compared to the first half, Liverpool finished better and scored two goals. In fact, if Salah hadn't missed the penalty, Liverpool could have created a larger lead against Real Madrid.

In the 52nd minute, Mac Allister opened the scoring for "The Kop" after a beautiful one-two pass with Conor Bradley. Notably, Real Madrid's young center-back Raúl Asencio made a serious mistake in this situation, hesitating and failing to decisively stop Mac Allister. In the 76th minute, Cody Gakpo headed in a powerful header, doubling the home team's lead.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid continued to display a lackluster performance in the second half. The visitors only managed three more shots, all of which were saved by goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. In the 61st minute, Real Madrid were awarded a penalty, but Kylian Mbappe still couldn't beat the Liverpool goalkeeper.

Mac Allister (number 10) and Cody Gakpo (number 18) scored two goals for Liverpool.

In the end, Real Madrid lost 0-2 to Liverpool. This was the "White Eagles'" third consecutive defeat in the 2024-2025 Champions League. Real Madrid now only have 6 points, dropping to 24th place. On the other hand, Liverpool have won all 5 matches, firmly holding the top spot.

Results of some other matches: AS Monaco 2-3 Benfica, Bologna 1-2 Lille, Borussia Dortmund 3-0 Dinamo Zagreb, Aston Villa 0-0 Juventus.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/champions-league-mbappe-da-hong-phat-den-real-madrid-thua-liverpool-185241128031624496.htm