Real Madrid vs Liverpool live updates: Champions League ...

It has been a strange season at Liverpool, narrowly missing out on both parts of a Premier League and Champions League double last season.

In this next series of posts we will be breaking down some of the biggest stories from Liverpool's season.

Starting with their transfer business:

Sadio Mane's departure to Bayern Munich was perhaps the biggest story of their window.

Mane, who had in the eyes of some been the most important part of Liverpool's iconic three-pronged attack always looked set to depart this summer.

However, Liverpool, who had already brought in Luis Diaz from Porto in January 2022 had seemingly already sorted his replacement with Diogo Jota able to rotate in.

In classic football fashion, both players spent lengthy periods on the injury list, only just beginning to return now.

Darwin Nunez was Liverpool's major incoming signing, the highly rated Uruguayan striker had an impressive season at Benfica, as Klopp looked to revitalise his front three, utilising a more traditional number nine.

Nunez has certainly shown glimpses of what made Liverpool spend £70million ($84m) on him, but has certainly not hit the heights he is capable of, although there seems a certain inevitability that that shall come.

Liverpool's other incomings prioritised younger players such a Calvin Ramsay and Fabio Carvalho who perhaps aren't as expected to make such an immediate impact, before adding Cody Gakpo in January from PSV who seems to be starting to find form at Anfield.

Arthur, on loan from Juventus, was the only other incoming, but the midfielder is yet to make a Premier League appearance after suffering an injury early in his Liverpool career, but is now back for selection returning to the bench against Liverpool.

Liverpool's other outgoings were smart, trimming squad players such as Takumi Minamino and Neco Williams for a combined £30m ($36m), whilst cult hero Divock Origi departed on a free to A.C. Milan.

(All photos by Getty Images)

Noah Murray

GO FURTHER

Why Liverpool aren’t spending big despite making more money than Manchester United

But, for some readers, much of what is mentioned below may trigger a roll of the eyes and a shake of the head.

After all, conversations around changes in football are almost always highly conservative and no doubt plenty will instinctively conclude that the Champions League is a European competition, so logic says it ought to be played on European soil.

What do you think? Should the Champions League take some matches outside of Europe? Let us know by contacting [email protected].

Luke Brown·

Managing Editor, News

A senior executive at one leading Champions League club, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was speaking without permission, told me in the piece below that it made sense to take some matches beyond the continent.

He said: “It’s arrogant just to say the people of Arsenal, for example, who live in the UK should be the only ones who can see their team live. It’s basically globalisation. And if you ignore growth markets, competitors won’t and you’ll fall behind. Look at clubs’ social media followings — they have nothing at all to do with their local community. Every club’s community is global and should be — but absolutely buttressed by local projects and initiatives and priorities. Look at the NBA, the NFL and the Davis Cup in tennis and basically every other sport taking events and games internationally — which isn’t a slight on the local fanbase, they still have 95 per cent of the access.”

Adam Crafton·

Football Writer

GO FURTHER

Will the Champions League stay in Europe?

It is not the only idea that has been discussed and, at this stage, it remains only an idea. UEFA likes other options, such as experimentation with the Super Cup — the meeting between the previous season’s Champions League and Europa League winners. UEFA is already considering the introduction of a four-team mini-tournament at the start of each season, which would include the previous season’s Champions League winners and three other leading teams in what would be referred to as the “Opening Tournament”.

There were also plenty within the top echelons of European football who enjoyed the Champions League’s latter stages being hosted in one city — Lisbon — during the COVID-19-affected 2019-20 season. On that occasion, logistics and medical advice saw Lisbon become the sole host but some feel that replicating the experience with football supporters, who were unable to attend in 2020 due to pandemic restrictions, could provide fresh impetus for the tournament.

Adam Crafton·

Football Writer

GO FURTHER

Will the Champions League stay in Europe?

And, in September, The Athletic revealed that Al-Khelaifi is among several prominent club executives eager to explore taking matches beyond European borders.

The argument is simple: European clubs want to drive fresh revenue streams, grow their audiences in major markets in the States, the Middle East and Asia, and there is a view that exposure to meaningful matches would be an effective way of doing so.

Adam Crafton·

Football Writer

In April last year, the Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi provided a window into the backroom discussions of European football.

In an interview with The Athletic last spring, Al-Khelaifi spoke about the need for the Champions League to make “each match an event and entertainment”. He attracted the most headlines for saying the Super Bowl feels bigger than the Champions League final, which he attributed to Americans having “this mindset, for creativity and entertainment”.

He added: “My suggestion is to have a creative and entertainment department as part of the new joint venture between UEFA and ECA. How do we make the group stages compelling? The time difference (for Champions League games) is a problem for the US and Asia. So how can we work on this for international rights, which have huge potential? We are thinking about all kinds of things — new venues, new markets, new formats.”

Adam Crafton·

Football Writer

GO FURTHER

‘The Super Bowl should not feel bigger than the Champions League’ – PSG’s Nasser Al-Khelaifi on how he wants to grow the game

This season’s Champions League final will take place at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul — with the final the year after that heading to Wembley Stadium in London.

In 2025 we’ll be heading to the Allianz Arena in Munich.

But, beyond that, could we be heading to a future with UEFA Champions League matches taking place outside of Europe?

That’s what we’ll be digging into over the next hour, with the help of Adam Crafton.

Luke Brown·

Managing Editor, News

Real Madrid's comeback against Liverpool epitomises their relationship with the competition.

After Liverpool raced out into a 2-0 lead with goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, there was a lingering feeling that Real were far from out of it.

Real proved this in comprehensive fashion, swinging the game around from 2-0 to 5-2 in just over 50 minutes of football, ending the tie in the eyes of many.

Vinicius Jr. proved to be a familiar foe for Liverpool adding another brace, joined by Karim Benzema with Brazilian centre-back Eder Militao rounding out the scoring.

Liverpool undeniably have the ability to put in a strong performance today, but a three goal aggregate swing will be a big ask for Klopp's side who have been underwhelming throughout this season.

If there is any team in Champions League history capable of making a comeback it's Liverpool... right?

Noah Murray

GO FURTHER

Liverpool 2-5 Real Madrid: Glorious goals, goalkeeper howlers – and remarkable Real

In a repeat of the 2017-18, Liverpool were looking for revenge in Paris.

However, Liverpool got a repeat of 2020-21 as Vinicius Jr. proved to be the difference between the sides once again.

A beautifully weighted drilled cross from Uruguayan Federico Valverde evaded the entire Liverpool defence, as Trent Alexander-Arnold lost track of the Brazilian winger.

Liverpool lost the Premier League in extremely unfortunate fashion to Manchester City in a closely run race, ending the season only one point behind Guardiola's side.

Ancelotti's Real ended the season with three pieces of silverware, completing a La Liga, UCL double and added the Supercopa de Espana for good measure.

Noah Murray

GO FURTHER

Why Liverpool keep failing to beat Real Madrid: ‘They were almost mocking us’

Real Madrid prevailed 3-1 on aggregate against Liverpool in the 2020-21 iteration of the Champions League, wrapped up in the first-leg.

The second-leg, 0-0 draw, is the only time Liverpool have not lost to Real since beating them last in 2009.

The tie should be best remembered for marking Vinicius Jr.'s 'arrival' as one of the top talents in Europe, as the Brazilian winger scored a brace and Marco Asensio scored one, as Mohamed Salah's goal was not enough.

Liverpool were extremely injury hit during the time of this tie, with the only centre-back options available being loanee Ozan Kabak, Ben Davies (not the one at Tottenham), and young Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams.

It was Kabak and Phillips who were Klopp's preferred pairing across both legs, as the defending Premier League champions were eliminated.

Real Madrid were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual Champions Chelsea, and missed out on the La Liga title to Atletico Madrid on the final day.

Noah Murray

The 2017-18 Champions League final in Ukraine has gone down in history as one of the competitions most memorable.

In the minds of many, the game is best remembered for Loris Karius' famous errors, rolling the ball into Karim Benzema who scored Real Madrid's first in a 3-1 victory and flapping Gareth Bale's long-range effort into the net to seal the win.

The mistakes, which have subsequently defined Karius' career, whilst notable should not distract from the magic of Bale.

Bale's overhead kick to put Liverpool 2-1 up after Sadio Mane equalised, is inarguably one of the greatest Champions League goals of all time, yet alone in a final.

Despite the Welshman's troubled time at Madrid, his penchant for scoring big goals in big games seals his status as one of their most iconic players of all time.

It is likely, with the more time that passes, the more fondly Bale's time in the Spanish capital will be reflected upon.

(All photos by Getty Images)

Noah Murray

GO FURTHER

Gareth Bale: one of football’s greatest ever gamechangers

Real Madrid, after losing the first three meetings with Liverpool have remained undefeated ever since.

The first win they earned was a 3-0 victory at Anfield, with two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and one from Karim Benzema.

Real followed up their success with a 1-0 win at the Bernabeu with a Benzema goal.

Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League that season, winning only one game in the group stage (vs. Ludogorets Razgrad of Bulgaria) as Swiss side Basel finished in second place on seven points, Liverpool were subsequently eliminated from the Europa League on penalties by Besiktas in the round of 32.

Real Madrid progressed to the semi-finals of the UCL, where they were eliminated by Juventus (3-2 aggregate), missing out on the chance to face Barcelona in the final who ultimately won the game 3-1.

Noah Murray

The second meeting between Real and Liverpool was the 2008-09 Champions League round of 16.

Liverpool comprehensively prevailed winning with an aggregate score of 5-0, giving them a flawless record against Real.

The first leg was memorably won by a late Yossi Benayoun header.

However, the second leg is where history was really made, with Liverpool dismantling Real Madrid, winning 4-0 at Anfield.

Andrea Dossena - who scored Liverpool's fourth - managed to give himself cult legend status at Liverpool due to this goal, and his only other lobbing Edwin van der Sar in a 4-1 away win against rivals Manchester United.

Both sides would finish second in their respective leagues that season, with Steven Gerrard later describing that Liverpool team as the best he ever played in.

Real Madrid's side featured the likes of Fabio Cannavaro, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Iker Casillas alongside a youthful Sergio Ramos and Marcelo with Liverpool legend of Istanbul Jerzey Dudek remaining an unused sub.

Noah Murray

GO FURTHER

How Jurgen Klopp built a squad to rival one of Liverpool’s all-time best

Real Madrid and Liverpool are two of the most successful teams in the history of the European Cup and UEFA Champions League (14 & 6 titles respectively) and have played host to several fascinating match-ups over the years.

Over the next series of posts, we will break all of the games and best moments between the two teams.

The First Meeting: 1980-81 European Cup Final.

It was only fitting that these teams faced for the first time in a competitive match in the final of the precursor to the Champions League.

Liverpool were victorious that day, winning 1-0 thanks to an Alan Kennedy, who got the ball from a Ray Kennedy (no relation) throw-in, before surging into the box and thumping it past Agustin in the Real Madrid goal.

Several legendary players lined up for both teams that day including Graeme Souness, Sir Kenny Dalglish, Phil Thompson and Alan Hansen (all Liverpool) and Spain's 2010 World Cup winning manager Vicente del Bosque, Uli Stielke, Santillana, Juanito and Laurie Cunningham (all Real Madrid).

(All photos by Getty Images)

Noah Murray

14-time winners and defending champions. No other team has a legacy in the UEFA Champions League comparable to Real Madrid.

With La Liga almost a forgone conclusion, Real need the Champions League - the competition that defines success at the Bernabeu.

Real were relatively fortunate in the group stages, picking up on paper what is one of the easier draws.

Celtic were dealt with relatively simply with 3-0 and 5-1 wins, in the first and last games of the group.

Real were pushed by Shakhtar Donetsk, with Real 2-1 winners at the Bernabeu, and only came away with a point against the Ukrainian side in the away game thanks to a 95th minute Antonio Rudgier equaliser to draw 1-1.

Real's other opponent RB Leipzig - who were comprehensively eliminated last night by Erling Haaland's Manchester City - defeated Real 3-2 at the Red Bull Arena, with Real winning 2-0 at home.

However, people should be careful to read too much into Real Madrid's indifferent (by their standards) group stage form.

Last season, Real Madrid lost to Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol 2-0 at the Bernabeu and at one point seriously looked as if they would not get out of the group altogether - before, in classic Real Madrid fashion going on to win the entire competition.

This fact seemingly defines Real in the Champions League under Ancelotti.

In the first-leg of tonight's tie, Real were down 2-0 after just 14 minutes at Anfield, then just over 50 minutes later were winning 5-2, giving Liverpool a very slim chance of progressing.

No matter how far Real may fall behind Barcelona in La Liga, they can never be ruled out of the Champions League.

Noah Murray

Shortly after returning from the World Cup, Real Madrid competed in an expanded four-team 'Supercopa de Espana' (Spanish Community Shield), beating Valencia on penalties, then losing 3-1 to Barcelona in the final played out at the King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia.

Real Madrid returned from the World Cup break two points behind Barcelona with 14 games played.

11 games on Real find themselves nine points adrift of Xavi's team.

Shortly after returning, Real Madrid competed in a relatively recently expanded four-team 'Supercopa de Espana' (Spanish equivalent of the Community Shield), beating Valencia on penalties, then losing 3-1 to Barcelona in the final played out at the King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia.

Noah Murray

Eden Hazard has consistently made headlines this season, despite only playing 98 La Liga minutes this season and not featuring in the league since September 11th.

The Belgian has struggled with form and injury since making his dream move to Real Madrid, only managing 6 goals and 10 assists in 66 Real Madrid games prior to this season.

However, this season any lingering hope of Hazard replicating his Chelsea form has been dashed.

Hazard stated on Monday that he and Ancelotti do not talk to one another, with Ancelotti confirming: "Hazard has been honest, because I don’t talk to him much, it’s the truth."

Last Wednesday, The Athletic exclusively revealed Hazard plans to remain at the club until 2024, seeing out his contract, despite only featuring seven times in all competitions this season, and not at all since early January.

Seemingly his only opportunity to win back favour was at the World Cup, where he captained Belgium. However, he was subbed at the hour mark in the first two group games, and only came on for the final three minutes against Croatia, as the Belgians were eliminated.

Eden Hazard in many ways represents one of the last of Galacticos of his era, big players, signed in their prime, for big fees and Real Madrid have been burned by it.

Noah Murray

GO FURTHER

Eden Hazard: Real Madrid’s record signing is now an outsider who looks set to leave

Vinicius Jr. has been a consistent target of racist and otherwise antagonistic abuse during the 2022-23 La Liga season.

Before Real Madrid's derby win against Atletico, hundreds of Atletico fans out side the stadium were filmed chanting: "Eres un mono, Vinicius eres un mono (You are a monkey, Vinicius you are a monkey)," with similar chants continuing during the match.

Pedro Bravo, president of the Spanish agents’ association, said of Vinicius on Spanish TV programme 'El Chiringuit': "You have to respect your opponents. When you score a goal, if you want to dance Samba, you should go to the sambadrome in Brazil. You have to respect your friends and stop playing the monkey."

Bravo later retracted the comments, but was roundly condemned from voices including Pele, the Brazilian FA, and Bruno Guimaraes among many others.

In a recent fixture against Osasuna, Vinicius was subject to consistent abuse including during the minute's silence for the Turkey/Syria earthquake and was racially abused during the celebrations of Marco Asensio’s injury-time goal, and endured similar abuse in a previous fixture against Real Mallorca.

Four-time Champions League manager Carlo Ancelotti has routinely praised Vinicius for his outstanding ability on the pitch, and mental fortitude to keep operating at the highest level during this season, but there is little doubt that the Brazilian winger has been singled out as a target for abuse and it has overshadowed his season.

Noah Murray

GO FURTHER

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior has faced persistent racist abuse. What’s being done?

Real Madrid President Florentino Perez used his club’s annual general assembly in October to reiterate his club's support for the European Super League.

The proposal, to which fans of English clubs ardently protested against leading to their club's withdrawal, is still supported by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus.

FIFA & UEFA were taken to court by 'The European Superleague Company', reaching the European Court of Justice (Supreme Court of the European Union), as they claimed the organisations were guilty of breaching EU laws in blocking attempts to start up a rival competition.

The ECJ's Advocate General (advisor to the judges) Athanasios Rantos' non-binding legal opinion found UEFA does have a monopolistic role in organising club football in Europe, but argued that this was legally permissible due to the special status of sport within EU competition law.

A final ruling will be given by a 15-member Grand Chamber of the ECJ this month and is not expected to be significantly different.

Bernd Reichert, CEO of A22 Sports Management (the company in charge of promoting the ESL), like Perez still believes in the potential of the ESL to receive a positive result at trial.

La Liga President, Javier Tebas, has continued to warn against the threat posed by Real Madrid and Barcelona in particular in supporting the Super League pointing to significant commercial damages to La Liga.

However, it remains clear, before all legal options are exhausted Real Madrid, under the Presidency of Perez will continue attempting to push for the ESL in an increase to urgently raise funds.

Noah Murray

GO FURTHER

Barcelona and Real Madrid, hated rivals who need each other more than ever

Real Madrid started the season at lightning speed, coming out of the gates with a 2-0 UEFA Super Cup win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Real managed to remain undefeated in their first 11 La Liga games, winning ten.

In the process, Carlo Ancelotti's team managed to defeat Atletico Madrid 2-1 away and Barcelona 3-1 at the Bernabeu, seemingly setting the stage for a historic season.

However, Real wobbled in back-to-back games drawing against Girona (1-1), and losing to city neighbours Rayo Vallecano (3-2).

Despite rebounding with a 2-1 win against Cadiz, Barcelona snuck ahead (37 points to 35) in La Liga heading into the break for the World Cup in a title fight with an extremely small margin for error...

Noah Murray