Liverpool vs Real Madrid live online: goals, score, stats & updates | UEFA Champions League
Liverpool vs Real Madrid: live updates
SAVE. Courtois again as Liverpool turn the revs up. Another looping header, this time from the left, ends with Díaz's effort being punched into orbit by the Belgian beast.
HUGE CHANCE. Mac Allister clips a delicious ball over Madrid's back line and Darwin connects with his head. The ball loops up and drops past Courtois' outstretched hand, bouncing just past the far post!
HUGE CHALLENGE. Bradley goes in on Mbappé as the Frenchman looks to have broken away on the counter. It's a sensational tackle and he wins the ball fairly on the edge of the box. What a perfect intervention that has rightly won him an ovation from all four sides of the stadium.
The ball is cleared to Güler who slices a weak effort wide of the goal.
Corner to Madrid after a serious showing of their talent from front to back allowed them to advance through the thirds and into Liverpool's box.
Madrid are sitting off their opponents in the middle third of the pitch and this new-look Liverpool get to work doing their best impression of a curious alien. The probing has begun.
Liverpool are having a good spell here and have Madrid on tostada going down both wings.
HUGE SAVE. Courtois giving Liverpool nightmares again.
The home side attack down the left and the awkward bounce sees the ball lands at the feet of Darwin, who only has to stab it past the goalkeeper from a few yards out.
He sends the ball into the palms of the Belgian, who once again has done the impossible.
Camavinga is taken down by Darwin. Güler will whip it towards goal from the right...
And it flies over. A chance missed.
Madrid's front three attack with pace but by the time they're in the box, an army of one hundred thousand red shirts are there to greet them with smiles.
Twenty gone and the game already feels like a dropped jelly.
Nice work from Brahim on the right sees him squirm past various defenders before laying off down the right to Valverde. He burns down the wing and sends in a cross that's too heavy.
Liverpool counter and Asencio is equal to Darwin's run on the right. Fine defending from the youngster.
There's not been much structure to this game so far, with Madrid seeing slightly more of the ball but failing to do anything with it.
A big header from Valverde calms the nerves as Liverpool make it into the Madrid box from the right with Mac Allister lurking around like a shark with some nighttime business to do.
Madrid win their first corner of the game, which is well defended by Liverpool's huge back line.
Bellingham is being shadowed by Gravenberch, who is not giving him an inch to breathe in the middle of the pitch. It's forcing Madrid out wide where the full-backs and wingers are doubling up.
Darwin is on his feet and has made a miraculous recovery. We're back underway.
Darwin is down in the box after a tussle with Asencio.
It's all Liverpool here, and Madrid are being surgically operated on, their insides are open and the home side are fiddling away.
Díaz finds space inside the box on the left side after Robertson pops the ball through Valverde's legs. The winger brings his right foot back and smacks a low effort into the side netting.
Robertson does well to shield Güler who advances after intercepting a poor pass out from the back by Van Dijk.
Valverde slides in to stop Luis Díaz getting on the end of a low through ball that slicesthrough the Madrid defence like a Japanese sushi knife. The away side are rattled in the opening stages.
Liverpool's low corner is driven low to Díaz who hoofs his effort over Courtois' goal.
OFF THE LINE. Mbappé loses possession in the middle third after trying too much and being forced back. Liverpool counter and Darwin drives low at Courtois.
The goalkeeper saves but the ball looks like it's about to dribble in until Asencio swipes it off the line!
It's a 4-2-3-1 off the ball from Madrid, who have Mbappé up top with Bellingham and Arda tucked in just behind, either side of Brahim.
Madrid start brightly and Brahim worms his way past a few challenges and tries to squeeze the ball into Mbappé, who loses it in the box.
And we're off!
Real Madrid get us going from left to right.
The Chaaaaaampions!
All 22 players are on the pitch and now it's time for the UEFA Champions League anthem, which is getting a lot of whistles from the crowd.
The clock is ticking!
Right, YNWA is over with, the players are on their way!
What an atmosphere!
On nights like these, Anfield never disappoints. We've got a fantastic crowd and a sensational noise coming from them!
A reminder of the XIs:
LIVERPOOL:
Alisson; Bradley, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones; Díaz, Darwin, Salah
REAL MADRID:
Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rüdiger, Mendy; Modric, Camavinga, Bellingham, Arda Güler; Brahim, Mbappé
The teams are in the dressing rooms
The stadium is filling up now as we head into the final 15 minutes before kick-off. It's time now for the pre-match talks and any late tactics tweaks ahead of the game!
Did you know?
Carlo Ancelotti, after today's game, will overtake Alex Ferguson as the manager with the most games ever managed in the Champions League (215).
Vini Jr sends message of support
¡HALAMADRID! he has just tweeted ahead of the game, which he's presumably watching.
Ancelotti to Spanish TV:
It'll be a good game, a good atmosphere. It's a good game for us to see how well we've done recently.
It's a tough opponent but we have enough to have a good game.
I only had a doubt over Luvas or Valverde, it'll be a tough game and I didn't want to rush Lucas back into things.
Warmups underway!
We've got around 20 minutes to go until kick-off, with both sides on the pitch for their pre-game warmup routines with the physical coaches.
In case you missed the first one, here's your reminder of how to get the game on your screen today.
Sofascore say 4-3-3 for Carlo
The lad-coat-wearing boffins over at Sofascore Towers have Ancelotti's side in a 4-3-3 formation, with Brahim on the left and Arda Güler on the right wing, where we speculated earlier that he might play.
However, having stared for long enough at the players, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Turkish midfielder sit at the top of something akin to a diamond, or even a 4-1-3-2, with two more midfielders pressing high and wide (although playing with Modric at 39 makes me cautious with this idea). Let's see.
Here's the full fixture list for today:
Apart from the obvious, Liverpool vs Real Madrid, which game are you most excited about?
Pressure on two attackers
There is a lot of pressure on both Brahim and Arda to perform tonight. Both have seen limited minutes for one reason or another and tonight is a huge chance to get themselves wedged into Carlo Ancelotti's plans for the rest of the season.
The talent is there but becoming a fixture in the Real Madrid XI is tough at the best of times, and with this current squad, things have arguably never been more difficult for a young attacking midfielder to wiggle their way into the eleven.
The Frenchman who whistled as Spain beat England in the Euro 2024 final has been selected for the game tonight.
Francois Letexier is a seasoned pro at this level and a known face at elite games across the continent.
He began his Ligue 1 career in 2016 and has worked various times on games that include both Liverpool and Real Madrid, including being given the job as fourth official in the Champions League final between Madrid and BVB.
Andy Robertson pre-game:
“I don’t really look into owing people one or revenge or anything like that,” the left-back told the media during today’s pre-match press conference.
“But I think the squad is too new, I think their squad is too new, and we’re just looking at tomorrow to try to strengthen our position at the top of that table, because we know how important finishing in the top eight can be in terms of seeding for the last 16 and not having a play-off.
“Both games [in the final] were different. I think 2018 was so important for our journey. Nobody really expected us to be in the Champions League final that year, and it gave us the belief that we could compete in the tournament again and go on and then win it the next year, which was so important."
“I think 2022 obviously hurt a lot more at the time; I thought we played well in the game, I thought we dominated the game. Their goalkeeper was Man of the Match, which probably tells you a lot. But they do what they do, there’s a reason why they’ve won the competition the most out of any team"
Sliding doors moments are great, and here's a top one. Kylian Mbappé could've played for Liverpool. In fact he does, in a parallel universe that we can't access.
Years later, Mbappé was seriously tempted to join one of the Premier League’s giants, even saying “I spoke with Liverpool because it was my mother’s favourite club,” in 2022.
“It’s a good club, and we met them five years ago. When I was in Monaco, I met them. It’s a great club. My mother loves Liverpool. I don’t know why, you’ll have to ask her!”
Anfield looking pretty pre-game
Here's AS USA's view from the stamnds. It's about to get a lot noisier in here as the fans stream in from all sides.
Arne Slot pre-game quotes:
[On Salah] "People told me about this, but I have said many times we don’t share this over here – at least I don’t share this over here. The only thing I can say is if you look at my line-ups, Mo is more in than out, so that quote I can give you."
"It is a big game. I think Real Madrid, Manchester City dominated Europe – and the leagues – for a few years now, combined with Liverpool because Liverpool were always up there as well competing with these two clubs."
"It’s a special week for us, especially because we play two times at home, but when this week is done then again a big week is coming up with Newcastle away and the Merseyside derby. If you are Liverpool you always play big games, but these two are special because these three clubs have dominated the league in Europe for so many years recently, so it’s a special week to play."
"Results have been really good – and results are always done by the players. If they have very good results then that is always good for the manager and for the press officer and for everyone who works at the club. We also know how much effort we have to put in to win these games and that’s why we always have to give credit to the players that put this effort in to get these results. As a result of that, the players are popular – like you just heard, because Mo is quite popular over here – and maybe the manager that is part of those results as well."
The best of the rest...
Here's what happened yesterday in another fascinating day in the UEFA Champions League.
We saw wins for Barcelona, Arsenal and Bayern, as well as a sensational turnaround from Feyenoord against, ahem, Manchester City.
Back in early 2023, Liverpool and Real Madrid met at Anfield for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.
Ahead of the game, the Reds had placed a bouquet of flowers in the area where Madrid fans were seated as a tribute to Amancio Amaro, a former star of the Spanish club who had recently passed away. The game then proceeded, with the visitors stunning the home team coming from two goals down to win 2-5.
Attention then turned to the second leg in Madrid and at the end of the contest at the Santiago Bernabéu, the famous song ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ was pumped out over the public address system.
LIVERPOOL XI REVEALED:
No thanks to an incredibly unhelpful graphic, we can see that it's a full-strength XI from Liverpool, who go with Salah, Darwin and Díaz up top.
Michael Regan - UEFA / UEFA via Getty Images
Real Madrid's Champions League games (2 of 2)
Real Madrid 5-2 BVB: The same story as against Stuttgart, Real Madrid’s numbers after 90 minutes will tell the story of a relaxed win, but until Dortmund fell apart in the second half, they had Madrid on the ropes and should have continued to press them after the break. They didn’t, and Vini Jr put them to the sword with an inspired second-half showing.
Real Madrid 1-3 AC Milan: The worst game for Real Madrid in European competition for a long time. They were dismantled from back to front against the Italians, who deserved more than 3 points for the astonishing performance and result that told the world Real Madrid might be in more trouble than we realised.
Salah in super form
The Egyptian has won Liverpool a sensational 17 points this season, meaning that with just his contributions he would put his side well into mid-table in the current Premier League.
UPDATE: Real Madrid arrive at Anfield
It's serious faces all round as the away side make their way into the stadium.
Stephanie Lecocq / REUTERS
Real Madrid's Champions League games (1 of 2)
Real Madrid 3-1 Stuttgart: While the scoreline suggests comfort, it was far from easy for Madrid, who scored two late goals to seal their first 3 points of the season. While at the time many saw this as ‘typical’ Real Madrid, it now looks like a win that planted the seeds for their European blips later on.
Lille 1-0 Real Madrid: If the doubts were raised against Stuttgart in an unconvincing win, they were brought to life against Lille, where Real Madrid huffed and puffed against a solid defence while simply looking weak in attack. Lille deserved the three points on the night and it was another poor showing in Europe.
Special guests at Anfield
Gareth Bale and Rio 'Ballon d'Or' Ferdinand are present at the game tonight.
Remember these games, Madridistas?
Liverpool fans, look away, but Madrid have a fine record against Liverpool in the European competition, having beaten them twice in recent finals.
Courtois is still in Mo Salah's dreams while Gareth Bale regularly haunts the nightmares of Karius.
Given the fact that the Brazilian is set to miss out on the huge Champions League clash at Anfield, it is now Mbappé's turn to show the Madrid fans that he means business in white and can indeed perform at the highest level for the 15-time European champions.
So far, things haven't gone very smoothly for the Frenchman as he finds his way into the side and the system, with lots of chances going off target that we'd otherwise expect him to slap into the back of the net.
At times his confidence has even looked like it's lulling, but the talent is still there and there is no time like the present to take the bull by the horns and announce himself as Madrid's most valuable player.
UPDATE: Madrid make their way to Anfield
Carlo Ancelotti's side are currently travelling from the team hotel to the stadium and should be arriving any minute now.
Look away Madrid fans!
Opta have bad news: Los Blancos come into the game under serious pressure as they've never lost 3 matches in the first round of the Champions League.
Andrew Boyers / Action Images via Reuters
Feeling a Slot like Christmas
Losing Jürgen Klopp was always going to leave huge shoes to fill but it seems that Arne Slot has found the formula already, and we're only in November.
The Dutchman has Liverpool playing a lot less wildly than they did at times under the German, but that's not to say they're not deadly and clinical when they turn the taps on.
The Reds are top of the Premier League and Manchester City's stumble has only propelled them on even more, with Mo Salah leading from the front as always and looking fitter than we've ever seen him.
Carlo Ancelotti pre-game:
“I'm fine, just like the team is. The last two games have gone very well, we've found a level of performance. We're more solid and we're feeling good. We have as much confidence as ever against a very demanding side. It's a great opportunity to get back to our best. It's going to be a great game, the team will be competitive tomorrow.”
“I hear a lot of advice, but let's not forget that I've managed 1,300 games, I've done 1,300 line-ups and 4,000 substitutions. Nobody can give me advice on that.”
“We'll have to wait and see. The league phase is a bit different from other years. Tomorrow's game will be a great match. We have to pick up points, in the games to come we have to pick up as many points as possible to be well-positioned in the standings. I don't know if we can make it into the top eight because we've already lost two games and it's not going to be easy.”
“I can't talk about Alexander Arnold because he's not my player. I have good memories of Everton. I always treat Liverpool with a lot of respect. It's a fantastic club with a great fan base, but I'm still an Everton fan.”
Madrid's other injuries...
The list of other injured players at Madrid is huge, with Militão, Rodrygo, Carvajal, Tchouaméni and Alaba all making up a fabulous five-a-side team. Ancelotti has improvised a lot this season and he will have to do so once again.
Brahim, Asencio and Güler are all pushing for a start in what will be a much-changed Madrid side.
The pristine pitch awaits...
No fans are in the ground just yet but that'll soon change once the gates open and we get to hear the famous 'YNWA' chant before kick-off.
JESUS ALVAREZ ORIHUELA / DIARIO AS
Vini Jr injury a huge worry for Ancelotti
The huge news was broken at the start of the week: Vini Jr had suffered a hamstring injury against Leganés andwill miss almost 4 weeks of action.
The Brazilian has not had a fantastic season but is still a key element of Madrid’s attack and his presence on the pitch, on nights like tonight, will be a huge loss for Ancelotti and his staff, not to mention the players.
How things are going for Real Madrid...
As for Los Blancos, they’re wallowing in mid-table, and sit 21st ahead of kick-off having had some disappointing results this year in the UEFA Champions League.
They’ve won 50% of their 4 games and lost the rest, with their Lille worries being confirmed against AC Milan, where they were well and truly taken apart. More on that later.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 20 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 21 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 23 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
REAL MADRID XI OUT:
Here's Ancelotti's starting lineup for the game.
We've got a potential 4-3-3 with Brahim as a false 9 (?) and Güler on the right, like against Leganés. We'll have to wait and see how they line up on the pitch.
Anfield pre-game is stunning
Given how early the sun sets in the north of England, this photo was probably taken at about midday.
That's a joke, Liverpool fans. Don't @ me.
Jokes aside, the stadium underwent a recent renovation to increase the capacity and it's safe to say the club deserves credit for not going for the spaceship look. Clunky and awkward all day for me.
Here’s how you can get the game on your TVor whatever screen you’ve got connected to the internet.
How things are going for Liverpool...
Liverpool are flying high in the Champions League’s mahoosive table, sitting second with a game in hand on the two ahead of them (Inter & Barça), meaning a win would put them top of the pops in the division.
They’ve won 4 from 4 and are the only team to do so in the competition, which is a huge result from Slot, who only arrived this summer after taking over from Jürgen Klopp.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 5 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
JAVIER SORIANO / AFP
Who's the ref?
It’s Francois Letexier with the whistle tonight and he’s an homme that you’ve probably got ticked off your Spotter’s Guide if you’ve been going since the start of the season.
The Frenchman is an experienced pro and keeps his cards close to his chest. By that I mean he’s not likely to be trigger-happy, not that he’s a particularly mysterious person.
Liverpool team news:
The Scousers go into tonight’s game without Alisson, Jota, Chiesa and Tsimikas, which will give Real Madrid some hope ahead of the tie, although the Reds have been performing pretty well without these names so far.
Real Madrid team news:
Liverpool fans jumped for joy so hard earlier in the week that it was (probably) enough to make the ducks bob up and down on the Mersey. Vinicius Jr was ruled out for 3 weeks to a month with a hamstring injury picked up against Leganés, meaning that he’s set to watch from home tonight.
He’s alongside Carvajal, Militão, Tchouaméni, Rodrygo and Alaba on the injury list at the Bernabéu.
Hello!
Hello and welcome to the AS USA live coverage of the UEFA Champions League on what is set to be a special night in this fascinating season so far.
Real Madrid make the trip to England’s northwest to take on Liverpool in the first round of Europe’s elite competition. The two teams have had contrasting fortunes so far in the tournament but the talent on show tonight has us on the edge of our seats already!
It’s Joe here to guide you through the action as it happens.