Real Madrid run riot at Anfield in Champions League first-leg

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It was a game soccer fans across Europe were looking forward to, and Liverpool v Real Madrid certainly didn’t disappoint. Two giants of the sport are regular opponents, having met in last year’s UEFA Champions League final but were paired at the Round of 16 stage this year. With neither showing strong domestic form, it was anyone’s guess which side would come out on top – The Reds or Blancos.

Tuesday’s match at Anfield certainly didn’t disappoint. It had everything an armchair fan could have wished for on the night. We saw the home team race into a two-goal lead, only for their visitors to battle back. Seven goals were scored on a pulsating night on Merseyside, but the locals didn’t get the result they had hoped for or predicted pre-match.

Real Madrid claimed an emphatic 5-2 win in England and now has one foot in the next round, although Liverpool isn’t out of the running yet. The leading online sports betting apps, including MyBookie, offer attractive odds and exciting markets on the second leg, allowing fans to make predictions and place bets. Before looking at the best bets for the second leg, we reflect on what happened at a stunned Anfield.

Record defeat piles pressure on Klopp

Liverpool entered the match with high hopes of making home advantage count, but things didn’t go according to plan. The Reds finished Tuesday’s game on the wrong side of a 5-2 thrashing, their worst Champions League home result on record. And it came out of nowhere, with the home team sitting pretty with a 2-0 lead inside 14 minutes. Goals from Nunez and Salah meant the Reds were on easy street, and it looked like a case of how many they’d score past sorry Madrid.

It’s funny how quickly things change in soccer at the highest level, and it doesn’t get much higher than Liverpool v Real Madrid in the Champions League. This fixture wouldn’t have looked out of place in this year’s final, but it’s almost certain the English Premier League team will bow out at the first elimination stage. That comes after they finished second behind Napoli but ahead of Ajax and Rangers in Group A. Fans can’t say the warning signs weren’t there.

At 2-0, Liverpool was in the driving seat, but quickfire goals from Vinicius Junior meant the teams went into the break tied at 2-2. Madrid emerged from the tunnel for the second half like a new side and quickly moved ahead with a goal from Militao less than two minutes after the re-start. A second-half double from Benzema completed the fightback, leaving Liverpool battered, bruised, and seemingly shocked.

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Klopp won’t throw in the towel

As this is a two-legged tie and the away goals rule was scrapped last season, Liverpool is still in the running. But they are hanging on by a thread. They must go to Madrid for the second leg and score at least three goals to force extra time. That’s a big ask, but how did Jurgen Klopp react to the result?

Speaking to the press after watching his side battered from pillar to post by a ruthless Real Madrid, Jurgen Klopp was as honest as ever with reporters. Speaking in his post-match conference, the Reds boss said he thinks the tie is over at this stage. But he reminded fans a lot can change in three weeks.

It appeared to be mind games from Klopp, aiming to draw his opponent’s into a false sense of security, hoping they’d drop their guard for the second leg in March. That’s a long shot.

Confidence is sky-high in the opposite camp. Two-goal hero Karim Benzema told everyone who would listen that his team is united in their goal to win the Champions League again. His statement squashed any rumors that Madrid may be going stale after winning La Liga and the Champions League last season. If their rivals thought Blancos had gone off the boil, that win at Anfield proved otherwise.

Second leg information

Real Madrid host Liverpool in the second leg on Wednesday 15th, March from 20:00 GMT. As you can imagine, the home win is betting favourite, but with Liverpool having to attack, we expect another few goals.

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