Liverpool v Real Madrid Live Commentary & Result, 21/02/2023, UEFA Champions League

That's all for today, goodbye!

Liverpool have a big mountain to climb in three weeks' time when they travel to the Bernabeu for the second leg. Before that though, they face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday. Madrid make it five wins on the bounce as they put themselves in a very strong position. Next up for them is Atletico Madrid in LaLiga.

It's advantage Madrid, as they take a 5-2 lead over Liverpool into the second leg. The hosts made a dream start, with Nunez flicking a backheel past Courtois just four minutes in before the keeper gifted Salah the second. Madrid turned the tie on its head after that, with Vinicius scoring two before the break - whipping the first past Alisson before blocking the keeper's pass to send it looping in. Militao thumped an unmarked header in two minutes after half-time, before a brace from Benzema finished off a spectacular turnaround.

90' + 4' FULL-TIME: LIVERPOOL 2-5 REAL MADRID.

H. Elliott

Yellow Card

90' + 3' Elliott's frustration gets the better of him as he goes through the back of Ceballos to win the ball back. He's shown a late yellow card.

90' + 2' It's better from Liverpool here, as Firmino plays a one-two with Jota to get into the box. Militao takes it off his foot but shows too much of it to Salah. Nacho gets across to ease him off the ball, and more Liverpool penalty shouts fall on deaf ears.

90' + 1' Into three added minutes at the end of the game, and every Madrid pass is being greeted by a cheer from the travelling fans. Vinicius tries to slide it through for Nacho on the edge of the box, but he runs into Van Dijk.

89' Kroos thinks he was fouled, but the referee allows Liverpool to carry on the attack. Elliott wins a corner, but Alexander-Arnold's delivery again hits the first man.

T. Kroos

L. Modrić

87' And Modric is also taken off, with Kroos on for him.

Marco Asensio

K. Benzema

87' Madrid's last change is a double one. Benzema won't get the chance to go for a hat-trick as he's replaced by Asensio.

H. Elliott

Stefan Bajčetić

85' Final roll of the dice for Liverpool now as Elliott comes on in place of Bajcetic.

83' Bajcetic's looping clearance is pounced on by Camavinga and sets Nacho away down the left. Alexander-Arnold gives him a nudge in the box, causing him to slide into the box, but no foul is given.

Dani Ceballos

Rodrygo

81' Second change for Madrid now, and Rodrygo makes his way off the far side of the pitch so Ceballos can replace him.

79' Madrid have flooded bodies back into their box and Liverpool just can't find a way through them. It's switched from right to left and back again, but none of the wide players can pick out a cross.

77' Robertson does well to intercept the pass out to Carvajal and surges into the box. He fires his cross against Militao to win a corner, but then can't pick anyone out from it.

75' This is only the third time this century that Liverpool have shipped five goals in a home game, also doing so in January 2007 (6-3 defeat to Arsenal) and October 2019 (5-5 draw with Arsenal).

J. Milner

J. Henderson

73' And Henderson is also going off, handing the armband to Milner, who comes on in his place.

J. Matip

J. Gomez

73' Another double change for Liverpool now. Gomez, who has had a pretty torrid second half, is replaced by Matip.

71' Madrid are comfortably knocking it around in front of Liverpool before upping the pace to get it out to Vinicius. He plays a one-two with Valverde, but Gomez sticks out a leg to cut out the return pass.

69' Liverpool look truly rattled, but Alexander-Arnold wins a corner and whips another good cross in from the set-piece. He picks out Van Dijk in the middle, but his header is straight at Courtois.

Vinícius Júnior

Assist

67' Vinicius was well onside when Modric picked him out, and he drew Van Dijk out to him, leaving the space for Benzema behind him.

K. Benzema

Goal

67' BENZEMA SCORES AGAIN! Madrid break quickly on the counter, and Liverpool just can't cope with it. Modric bundles it to Vinicius, and he slides it through Van Dijk's legs to Benzema. Alisson rushes out, but he coolly takes it around him before firing his shot past three Liverpool defenders and into the top corner. 5-2 Madrid!

65' WIDE! Robertson's corner is cleared by Nacho, but Henderson can't control it when it falls to his feet. He ends up cushioning it own for Bajcetic, who opens up his foot to curl a shot on goal, but it doesn't bend back on target.

Diogo Jota

D. Núñez

64' And Nunez is also making way, with Jota on for him.

Roberto Firmino

C. Gakpo

64' Liverpool's first change is a double one as they look to get back into this tie. Gakpo is the first to go off, with Firmino replacing him.

63' CHANCE! Bajcetic sticks out a leg to block Vinicius' cross, but he only gets it as far as Rudiger. He sprints onto it, putting his laces through it from distance. There's a lot of power on it, but it smacks off the advertising board.

62' Modric's run is cut out and it's threaded forward for Nunez, who drives through the middle. Gakpo makes a brilliant run ahead of him, but the Uruguayan holds onto it for too long, and Valverde dispossesses him.

Vinícius Júnior

Yellow Card

60' Vinicius is the first player to go into the referee's book as he refuses to retreat so that Liverpool can take their free-kick.

59' There are more appeals from the hosts for a penalty for a handball against Carvajal, but the referee isn't interested in it. Rudiger goes down off the ball, claiming he took a hit from Nunez, but he's quickly back on his feet.

57' Liverpool look completely shaken by the start that Madrid have made to the second half. The hosts are enjoying a good spell of possession, but they're struggling to get through Madrid's high press.

Rodrygo

Assist

55' Rodrygo started the move, and there was a quick VAR check to see if he was onside. He was being played on by Gomez, and then did well to lay it off to Benzema.

K. Benzema

Goal

55' BENZEMA SCORES! What a turnaround by Madrid! Bajcetic can't clear his lines and Carvajal knocks it back out to Rodrygo. He touches it into Benzema, who gets it out of his feet before poking a shot on goal. It takes a big deflection off Gomez's thigh which completely wrongfoots Alisson as it hits the net. 4-2 Madrid!

53' It's a wonderful looping cross from Alexander-Arnold on the right and Nunez is waiting at the far post. He goes down after a nudge in the back from Carvajal. There are shouts from fans and players alike, but no penalty is given.

51' Liverpool haven't been able to get going in the second half, and Vinicius is bursting down the left again. He gets the better of Alexander-Arnold, but his pullback is blocked by Henderson for a corner, which comes to nothing.

49' Gomez clumsily brings down Vinicius again, and the referee calls him over to have a word. There's no card coming for the defender, but he needs to calm down here.

L. Modrić

Assist

47' Modric has a quick glance up and spots Militao's run before lifting it into the perfect area for Militao.

Éder Militão

Goal

47' MILITAO SCORES! It was a clumsy challenge from Gomez on Vinicius and it's cost Liverpool! Modric whips the free-kick in from just outside the area on the left and Militao loses his marker to have a free header from the edge of the six-yard box. He thumps his header through the crowd and into the back of the net. 3-2 Madrid!

46' Liverpool get us back underway for the second half!

Both managers looked fairly calm on the touchline, but neither will be too happy with some of what they saw in the first half. Defensively, they both looked shaky, and that's something they'll want to improve on. The threat up front is clear from both sides though, and this game looks like it has a lot more goals in it.

A brilliant first half of football sees Liverpool and Real Madrid drawing 2-2 at the break. A brilliant goal and a goalkeeping error apiece means that the sides can't be separated. Nunez gave Liverpool a dream start, sending a backheel flick past Courtois just four minutes in, and the keeper then gifted the ball to Salah 10 minutes later, and he fired in their second. Madrid fought back, with Vinicius picking out the bottom corner before blocking Alisson's pass to loop in another.

45' + 3' HALF-TIME: LIVERPOOL 2-2 REAL MADRID.

45' + 1' BLOCK! It's a great throw from Courtois to set Vinicius away down the left and Liverpool are flooding back quickly. He whips a dangerous cross into the far post, and Rodrygo looks like he has a free shot until Robertson throws himself in front of it.

45' SAVE! Alexander-Arnold steps up to take the free-kick, and it takes a slight deflection off the wall. Courtois quickly readjusts and gets behind the shot to block it.

44' Bajcetic slips as he tries to switch the play out to Salah again, but hits it straight against Modric. It strikes his arm, though it was against his chest, and Liverpool have a free-kick through the middle.

42' Bajcetic crashes into Carvajal to win the ball back but goes down holding his knee. The physio is quickly across to see to him, but he's able to carry on.

40' It's Gakpo that puts the pressure on Courtois this time, but he goes long, picking out a good pass to Vinicius. He brings it down with a lovely first touch, but he can't get past Gomez.

38' Madrid are knocking it around in midfield, patiently trying to work it upfield, but Liverpool are pressing them high upfield and making it difficult for them to get forward.

Vinícius Júnior

Goal

36' VINICIUS SCORES AGAIN! And this time, it's Alisson who's at fault! Gomez does well to intercept the pass into Vinicius and he knocks it back to the keeper. He attempts to play it straight back to Gomez, not seeing Vinicius closing him down, and the pass hits him and loops straight into the empty net. 2-2!

35' Nacho trips over his own feet and Alexander-Arnold lifts in another good cross from the right. Robertson is running onto it at the far post, but Rodrygo is back to flick it away from him.

33' Salah plays a one-two with Henderson and then Gakpo, but can't find space. Robertson switches play to Gakpo, but he gets too much on the cross, and neither Salah nor Nunez can get on the end of it.

31' GREAT SAVE! Carvajal's corner is over everyone and drops to an unmarked Vinicius on the far side of the box. He slips as he curls it towards the far post, but it goes through a crowd and Alisson gets down quickly to push it away.

29' Salah is now Liverpool's all-time leading goalscorer in European competition (including qualifiers), with 42 goals, overtaking Steven Gerrard.

Nacho

D. Alaba

27' Alaba does make his way straight off the pitch with the medical team, and it's Nacho that's on to replace him.

26' Madrid may have a problem here as Alaba has gone down holding his right hamstring. The medical team are on and very quickly gesture to the bench that they're going to need to make a change.

25' OFF THE LINE! Henderson pulls it back from the byline to pick out Salah, who ends up doing a full turn to try and get the ball out of his feet. It's blocked by Rudiger before falling to Nunez, who sees his shot blocked by Militao.

23' A lot of Liverpool's threat is coming down their right, and Alexander-Arnold lifts a good cross into the far side. Robertson runs onto it, but seems caught in two minds and in the end, he slices it straight at Militao, who clears it.

K. Benzema

Assist

21' Benzema didn't even have to move, he just touched it straight back into Vinicius' feet and left the rest to him.

Vinícius Júnior

Goal

21' VINICIUS PULLS ONE BACK! It's lovely stuff from the Brazilian, who gets away from Fabinho with a lovely bit of footwork before playing a one-two with Benzema as he cuts inside from the left. Nobody closes him down and he whips a great shot past Alisson into the far side of the net. 2-1!

20' Every time the ball gets knocked back to Courtois, the Liverpool fans are upping the pressure on him. Salah once again chases the ball down, but the keeper clears his lines this time.

18' It's a great ball over the top from Militao to pick out Carvajal, and he cushions a header into Rodrygo's path. He knocks it past Van Dijk before pulling it back for Benzema, but it's just behind him.

16' Madrid are starting to go more direct now in an attempt to quickly get back into this tie. Camavinga plays a hopeful ball forward and Benzema is sprinting to try and reach it, but he can't get there before Alisson.

Mohamed Salah

Goal

14' SALAH SCORES! And it's a moment to forget for Courtois! Carvajal cuts off Gakpo's run down the left and knocks it back to the keeper. Courtois is looking to take his time, but it bounces awkwardly off his knee, wrongfooting him, and Salah is on the spot to fire it past into the back of the net. 2-0 Liverpool!

12' SO CLOSE! Gakpo brings it down with a lovely first touch before outmuscling Camavinga to find the space to pick out Salah on the right. He bursts into the box, going it alone, before drilling his low shot just wide.

11' Carvajal threads it forward for Rodrygo, who takes a good first touch before being let down by the second. Robertson sticks out a leg to take it away from him, and Alisson collects Alaba's cross from the opposite flank.

10' Still, Liverpool patiently work it upfield, and Alexander-Arnold lifts it over the top to Salah again. He has space again, and whips it into the middle this time, but it's flicked away by Rudiger.

8' Camavinga slides in to try and stop Fabinho's run and he makes contact with the Brazilian outside the box. Fabinho doesn't go down until he's in the box, and the referee isn't listening to the penalty claims.

6' That goal seems to have settled Liverpool into the game and they're comfortably knocking it around in midfield. Madrid are sitting deep, and they're in no hurry to press.

Mohamed Salah

Assist

4' Alaba is hesitant to get tight to Salah, and it works in the forward's favour as it allows him the space to pick out Nunez through the middle.

D. Núñez

Goal

4' WHAT A GOAL! And what a start for Liverpool! Salah drives down the right, and Alaba backs off, allowing him space to fizz a low cross into the middle. Nunez times his run perfectly and goes for an audacious backheel flick that comes off as it flies past Courtois into the back of the net. 1-0 Liverpool!

2' It's Madrid with all of the early possession here until Camavinga gifts the ball straight to Henderson. He sticks out a foot to poke it through for Gakpo, but he slips before he can get a shot away.

1' Modric gets the game underway for Madrid!

The teams are out on the pitch now, with kick-off just moments away!

Liverpool won their first three matches against Madrid in European competition between 1981 and 2009. Since then, the Reds are winless in six games against them, with five of those ending in defeat (D1).

Carlo Ancelotti makes two changes from their win over Osasuna at the weekend. They're boosted by the return of Benzema, who is back after suffering from muscular fatigue. Carvajal is also brought in. Ceballos and Nacho drop to the bench, where Kroos is also named after recovering from illness.

Jurgen Klopp was clearly impressed with his side's performance against Newcastle United on Saturday as he names an unchanged line-up here. Nunez was forced off in that game with a shoulder injury, but he's deemed fit enough to retain his place.

REAL MADRID SUBS: Alvaro Odriozola, Andriy Lunin, Eden Hazard, Toni Kroos, Sergio Arribas, Mario Martin, Nacho, Alvaro Rodriguez, Lucas Vazquez, Marco Asensio, Jesus Vallejo, Dani Ceballos.

REAL MADRID STARTING XI (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba; Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modric; Rodrygo, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior.

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Joel Matip, Fabio Carvalho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Harvey Elliott, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, Diogo Jota, Caoimhin Kelleher, James Milner, Curtis Jones, Kostas Tsimikas, Adrian.

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Stefan Bajcetic; Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez.

Nearly nine months on from their most recent meeting, a 1-0 victory for Madrid in last season's Champions League final, these old rivals meet again. Madrid topped their group, winning four of their games, and leaving it until the final one to clinch first place (D1 L1). They come into today having lost just one of their last 10 outings in all competitions (W8 D1) but have won their last four, including the Club World Cup final. As for Liverpool, after a heavy 4-1 defeat to Napoli in their opening group match, they won their next five but just missed out on the top spot. After a shaky start to 2023 that saw them win just one of their first seven games (D2 L4), they have won their last two without conceding.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Champions League round of 16 first-leg tie between Liverpool and Real Madrid at Anfield!

Liverpool v Real Madrid Live Commentary, 21/02/2023

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