Liverpool's hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League took another blow this evening as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The hosts got the only goal of the game shortly before the half-hour mark when Karim Benzema slid in to convert Marcelo's wicked cross from close range.
Gareth Bale came on as a second-half substitute for the reigning champions and hit the crossbar, but the one-goal win was still enough to book their spot in the next round.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at an intriguing 90 minutes between two giants of European football.
Match statistics
REAL MADRID
Shots: 27
On target: 9
Possession: 60%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 8
LIVERPOOL
Shots: 4
On target: 1
Possession: 40%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 12
Was the result fair?
Real Madrid certainly didn't have things all their own way this evening as Liverpool improved from the 3-0 defeat in the reverse fixture a fortnight ago, but there is little doubt that the hosts deserved the victory. Simon Mignolet was by far the busier of the two goalkeepers, despite Liverpool's defence doing a good job of keeping the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo quiet.
Madrid's vastly superior shot count is a little misleading in that many of the efforts came from outside the box and didn't pose Mignolet any major problems. However, the hosts always had some degree of control over the game, and most of Liverpool's effort was put into containing their opponents rather than threatening at the other end.
The hosts did have the chances for it to have been a repeat scoreline to the one at Anfield, but that would have been harsh on Liverpool. The visitors may feel that they could have got something out of the game having only lost by one, but they can't have too many complaints at losing to arguably the best side in the world right now.
Real Madrid's performance
Madrid certainly had the better of the match, as the stats above show, but it was by no means as comfortable as they might have expected following their victory at Anfield. The hosts were a little sloppy in their passing during the opening stages and could never gain complete control of the midfield as they did a fortnight ago.
However, they looked capable of scoring every time they came forward, and the goal was the perfect illustration of how they can punish even the smallest lapse in concentration from their opponents. Liverpool looked to have everything under control before a series of quick passes released Marcelo, who found Benzema with a fine cross.
Defensively, they didn't have much to do as Liverpool struggled to threaten in the final third, but when Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos were called upon they looked very solid. It was a good, professional performance throughout the team without being spectacular. That is now 12 victories in a row and they have already booked their place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League. Job done for Carlo Ancelotti.
Liverpool's performance
Many eyebrows were raised when Brendan Rodgers named a side more familiar to League Cup action than arguably the club's toughest match in more than five years, but the fringe players deserve a lot of credit for the way they applied themselves. A few may well have even earned themselves a place in the starting lineup for the match against Chelsea on Saturday.
The absence of the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho and Mario Balotelli looked to many as if Rodgers had thrown in the towel before the match had even started, but the changes brought a freshness to the team that has been missing in recent weeks. There was more energy about Liverpool tonight as every single player worked hard for the team, embodied by the movement of Fabio Borini compared to the statuesque Balotelli.
It was certainly a vastly improved performance from the Reds, with plenty of positives to take, but a club of their size shouldn't be viewing a 1-0 defeat as a relative success, even if they had been expected to be thumped by the vast majority of onlookers. It is important to remember that they still lost the match, and their qualifying hopes now rely on them winning their final two games.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Marcelo: Real Madrid boast arguably the best forward line in world football right now, but with Liverpool's defence standing up well to the challenge it was Marcelo who was their most threatening player tonight. The Brazilian was rarely tested defensively, which suited him fine as he got forward at every opportunity. His cross for the goal was exquisite, while he had a couple of other deliveries that threatened, including one that saw Bale hit the bar.
Biggest gaffe
Martin Skrtel almost gifted the hosts a goal with a poor piece of control after just 10 minutes of the match as Benzema was alert enough to nip in and steal the ball off the Slovakian defender. Benzema knocked it back to Ronaldo, but Mignolet spared his stand-in skipper's blushes with a good stop.
Referee performance
Viktor Kassai had a very good game tonight, getting the vast majority of the borderline decisions right. There were a couple of fouls right on the edge of the Liverpool box that he correctly called as free kicks rather than penalties, although he did award a rather soft free kick for Ramos in his own box when Borini challenged him. There was also a question mark over whether Iker Casillas handled the ball outside his area, but that was a very tough one for the officials to see.
What next?
Real Madrid: Real Madrid will hope that it is not unlucky number 13 when they look to add to their dozen consecutive wins at home to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
Liverpool: Liverpool, meanwhile, play host to league leaders Chelsea in a big match for both sides, also on Saturday.
Barney Corkhill
