Real Madrid roars back to thrash sorry Liverpool

Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema scored twice as Real Madrid came back from 2-0 down in the Champions League to beat Liverpool 5-2 in the first leg of their last-16 tie at Anfield on Tuesday.

Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah have given the hosts the perfect start to a repeat of last season’s Champions League final.

But Vinicius scored twice to level at half-time and, after Eder Militao had given Carlo Ancelotti the lead, Benzema’s double saw the holders through to the quarter-finals.

“We suffered at the start, you can’t start a game like that, but luckily the team is very good,” said Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.

“Going forward today, we were very efficient. Every time we broke Liverpool’s press, we created chances.

The win added to a disastrous season for Liverpool after they came close to an unprecedented fourth trophy last year.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are languishing in eighth place in the Premier League and currently appear to have no real chance of a trophy this season.

“I think Carlo thinks the tie is over and I think so now,” Klopp said. “In three weeks, we will play and take our chances.

“We go there and try to win the game. Whether it’s possible, I don’t know, but we’ll try.

protested UEFA

Madrid’s 1-0 victory when the teams met in Paris last May was overshadowed by chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France that claimed the lives of fans.

Liverpool’s support responded by breaking the Champions League anthem with a chorus of boos, while several banners in the Kop stand targeted UEFA and the French authorities.

Once the action was taken, the players produced the spectacle expected from a match between two clubs with a combined 20 European Cups.

Liverpool briefly turned back the clock to some of their best nights under Klopp to burst out of the blocks.

Nunez produced a magical finish to curl in Salah’s cross in four minutes.

Madrid overcame two-goal deficits to Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City en route to their 14th European Cup last season and were forced back by the usually solid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

A loose touch from the Belgian gave Liverpool’s Salah his second as the Egyptian became the Reds’ top scorer in European competition with 42.

But the defending champions once again showed remarkable resilience to turn the tie around with 30 minutes to play.

“Obviously we didn’t expect to start the way we did, but when we lost 2-0 I thought about City’s game in the semi-finals last year with the hope that we can do the same,” added Ancelotti.

“It’s getting better.”

Vinicius was the match-winner in last season’s final and now has five goals in four appearances against Liverpool.

The Brazilian curled a shot into the far corner for the rebound in the 21st minute.

Another dangerous error from one of the world’s top goalkeepers gave Madrid an equalizer when Alisson Becker’s effort deflected off Vinicius and into an unguarded net.

Liverpool’s leaky defense was breached again at the start of the second half as Militao was given a free header to set up Luka Modric’s free-kick.

Fortune was also on the side of the Spanish giants for the fourth goal as Benzema’s shot deflected off Joe Gomez leaving Alisson stranded.

There was no luck about the visitors’ fifth as clinical team moves destroyed Liverpool.

Modric burst into midfield and fed Vinicius, who fed Benzema to calmly round Alisson and slot into the top corner.

The sides meet again on March 15, but the second leg now appears to be a mere formality on a night when Madrid show why they remain reigning in Europe.

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