Liverpool are the best team in Europe — and two understudies hold the key

A few weeks ago, it was possible to look at Arne Slot’s seemingly impressive start at Liverpool, adopt a sceptical tone and ask who they had really beaten. And now an eloquent answer can be provided in two words: Real Madrid. The kings of Europe, to borrow Pep Guardiola’s phrase, the Champions League holders, the side even Jurgen Klopp never beat.

Some 19 games into his reign, Slot has 17 victories, the latest against the 15-time winners. He already has two great Anfield European nights, officially the finest sides in first Germany and now Spain defeated, and Liverpool top the Champions League, their claim to be the best team in the continent right now reinforced not merely by victory but by the manner of it. More energetic and more ambitious than Real, they overcame them for the first time since 2009.

“They were a pain in the ass for Liverpool for many years,” said Slot. So this was special, and yet the demanding Dutchman added: “If we meet them in the last-16 and then we are able to beat them it would be a bigger statement.” But it was a statement of sorts, with a quintuple Champions League winner accepting the scoreline. “It is a fair result,” said Carlo Ancelotti. “Liverpool deserved to win.”

They triumphed with starring roles from two of Slot’s understudies and, including Curtis Jones, three who came through the ranks contributing. “To have three academy players doing so well is a big compliment,” said Slot. Jones was impressive but overshadowed as, ensuring Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson were not missed, Conor Bradley set up a goal and Caoimhin Kelleher saved a penalty, and from Kylian Mbappe.

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Yet even as Mohamed Salah equalled Mbappe in an unwanted respect, spurning his own spot kick, he outworked him, setting the tone for the evening by tracking back to dispossess the Frenchman in the fourth minute and instigating a move that ended with Darwin Nunez having a shot cleared off the line by Raul Asencio.

And Salah’s miss mattered not. Liverpool got their goals from others: from the replacement Cody Gakpo and, before then, from the probable man of the match. A couple of years ago, Klopp described Jude Bellingham as a “golden cow”, almost a mythical midfielder. The Englishman resisted Liverpool’s overtures and headed to Madrid. When he belatedly made it to Anfield, he was upstaged by a player who may only have been signed because Liverpool could not get Bellingham.

Alexis Mac Allister was magnificent, bringing class and craft, creativity and a cool finish for the opener. It came as Liverpool applied pressure, Real eventually caving when Mac Allister swapped passes with Bradley, ghosting into the penalty area, and angling a shot past Thibaut Courtois when the goalkeeper had been looking unbeatable. A minute earlier, a combination of the midfielder and the right-back would have yielded a breakthrough but for a brilliant save, Courtois clawing away Bradley’s header after Mac Allister’s cross.

Bradley was denied his moment then, but not seconds later. Not in the first half, either, when Mbappe was in full flight, only to be halted by a flying, forceful tackle from the Northern Irishman. “One Conor Bradley,” echoed around Anfield then, and several times thereafter. If this was his masterpiece, Slot said: “Conor did very well but I am totally not surprised”. Bradley’s night had a cruel end; seemingly hamstrung after one sprint too many, he was replaced by Joe Gomez.

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The absences of Alexander-Arnold, an unused substitute, Alisson and Diogo Jota should put Real’s injuries in context. They were without Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Aurelien Tchouameni and Dani Carvajal, but Liverpool were not at full strength, either. They did not need to be to beat Real.

And they still had sufficient depth that a substitute scored, Gakpo rising above Luka Modric to head in Andy Robertson’s cross; there was something wrong with Real’s set-piece defending when the diminutive 39-year-old was jumping with Gakpo.

But there was something wrong with Real all night: where they may have felt themselves patient, they were passive. Neither adjective could be applied to Darwin Nunez, who led the line for Liverpool in inimitable fashion. He could have had a first-half hat-trick, with Courtois – aided by Asencio – making two vital saves. Liverpool’s nemesis in the 2022 final, Courtois threatened to reprise that role.

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If anyone was entitled to think of revenge, perhaps it was Salah, after he was stretchered out of the 2018 final. He was dynamic without delivering the goal he merited. The Egyptian won his spot kick, surging 30 yards before being upended by Ferland Mendy, but missed it, blazing his shot into the advertising hoardings. His penalty was more out than in, in his own words.

But he was altogether superior to Mbappe. “I think Mbappe it is a difficult moment,” said Ancelotti. “We have to support him and give him our love.” Liverpool instead gave him a tough time. Their defence took it in turns to halt him: first Bradley, then Virgil van Dijk, then Ibrahima Konate made fine saves. Then came Kelleher’s heroics from the penalty spot. For the second time in two games, Robertson conceded a spot kick, looking clumsy as he clipped Lucas Vazquez. “You see Mbappe behind the ball and I thought what everyone thought, ‘this will probably go in,’” said Slot, but Kelleher saved.

The fact it came after an hour and it was his first stop was an indictment of Real. The in-form Irishman went on to make three more and Liverpool have still only conceded once in the Champions League, after three minutes of their campaign. A shutout since then has now spanned 447 minutes. Now they can add Real to Milan, Bologna, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen on their list of scalps. It has grown more impressive in recent weeks. But Real, because they are Real, represent the biggest and best so far.