Liverpool have won all five matches and are top of the new-look UCL league format with 15 points.
Liverpool scored twice in the second half to defeat Real Madrid 2-0 in their UEFA Champions League (UCL) group phase encounter at Anfield on Wednesday.
The highly entertaining encounter lived up to expectations, with drama from penalty misses for both sides and sportsmanship incidents in the tension-soaked match.
Real Madrid were without Vinicius Jr. due to injury. Arne Slot fielded his best possible line-up, led by Mohamed Salah in attack. The home team was full value for a well-deserved win, with goals by Alexis MacAllister and Cody Gapko.
Darwin Nunez, involved in a shoving match with Raul Acensio early on, had two early chances to put Liverpool in the lead but was denied on both occasions by excellent stops from Thibaut Courtois, the Real Madrid goalkeeper. Both sides could not find the final ball in a tension-soaked first half.
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The game got the goal it deserved through MacAllister, who planted a low shot into the bottom corner of the net beyond Courtois on 52 minutes, handing Liverpool a 1-0 lead.
The UCL defending champions were handed a lifeline when Lucas Vazquez was brought down in the box for a penalty, but Mbappe missed the spot-kick.
Caoimhin Kelleher saved the penalty to preserve the home side’s lead. Minutes later, the home side was also awarded a penalty when Ferland Mendy brought down Salah, but the Egyptian striker also failed to convert, sending the ball wide of goal.
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Liverpool would shrug off the miss to double their lead through Gapko’s header from Andy Robertson’s cross on 76 minutes for 2-0 to seal victory for the home side.
Liverpool maintain their perfect start, winning all five matches for 15 points to top the new-look league format, while champions Real Madrid are dangling in 24th position- the last play-ff spot- after just two wins and six points from five matches.
Elsewhere, Red Star Belgrade came from behind to thrash Stuttgart 5-1, while Benfica required two late goals to overcome ten-man Monaco 3-2 in France. Borussia Dortmund were also big winners on the night with a 3-0 win away to Dinamo Zagreb.
RESULTS
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Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid
Red Star Belgrade 5-1 Stuttgart
Sturm Graz 1-0 Girona
Aston Villa 0-0 Juventus
Bologna 1-2 LOSC Lille
Celtic 1-1 Club Brugge
Dinamo Zagreb 0-3 Borussia Dortmund
Monaco 2-3 Benfica
PSV Eindhoven 3-2 Shakhtar Donetsk
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