Alexis Mac Allister was once again Liverpool's hero on the European stage, scoring against Real Madrid for the second consecutive season as Arne Slot's side claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory in their UEFA Champions League UCL league phase encounter at Anfield, contrary to the pre-game prediction, which expected Real Madrid to take control of Liverpool's recent dip in form.
Softfootball reports that the buildup to the match was filled with intrigue, not least due to Trent Alexander-Arnold's return to Merseyside. The right-back started on the bench, watching on as Liverpool made a bright start. Mac Allister set the tone early, firing just over the bar, before Thibaut Courtois produced a superb save to deny Dominik Szoboszlai, who was cleverly found by Florian Wirtz.
The game's first major talking point arrived just after the half-hour mark when referee Istvan Kovacs initially awarded Liverpool a free kick for Aurelien Tchouameni's apparent handball on the edge of the area. However, following a VAR review, the decision was overturned, much to the frustration of the Anfield crowd, who had expected a penalty. Liverpool didn't lose focus, and Szoboszlai responded with a fierce right-footed strike that Courtois again managed to turn away.