Real Madrid turned on the class in a comprehensive, come-from-behind 5-2 win over Liverpool in their Champions League round-of-16 first leg at Anfield on Tuesday night as both Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema netted a pair of goals.
The rematch of last year’s final — won by Madrid — was a thriller with the 14-time champions scoring five unanswered goals after going down 2-0 to put qualification for the quarterfinals on an almost certain track.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
A riveting first half saw Liverpool jump out to a two-goal lead with a fabulous flicked-on finish from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah‘s strike from close range after a laughable blunder by Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois.
The visitors cut into the deficit before the half-hour through Vinicius, who cut to his right in the penalty area and curled a perfect, low shot past Alisson to make it 2-1.
Another shocking ball from a goalkeeper led to Madrid’s second, as Alisson’s pass out of the back was mishit and bounced off Vinicius, looped up over the Liverpool keeper and rolled into the net to level the score before the break.
Despite the slow start, early second-half goals from Eder Militao and Benzema staked Madrid to a shocking 4-2 lead before the hour mark, hushing the Anfield crowd and leaving Jurgen Klopp looking perplexed on the sidelines.
Benzema netted his second to finish off a sleek counter-attack from Madrid, the France forward picking up a pass from Vinicius, sliding to his left past an onrushing Alisson and burying a shot in the upper left corner.
Real Madrid have all-but-eliminated Liverpool, who conceded five goals in the Champions League for the first time in club history, from the competition ahead of the second-leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 15.
