Three years after their European coronation in 2018, Zinédine Zidane and Real Madrid again outclassed Liverpool by the same score 3-1 Tuesday, April 6 in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League, and took a serious option for a qualification in semi -final.
Deprived of many of his executives (Sergio Ramos, Raphaël Varane, Dani Carvajal, Eden Hazard), "Zizou" once again managed to gain the upper hand over a completely overwhelmed Jürgen Klopp and the Reds, thanks to the two attackers that were expected at least Tuesday evening at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium: Vinicius and Marco Asensio.
Vinicius strikes twice
The young Brazilian concluded a superb opening from Toni Kroos (27th), then ten minutes later, Asensio took advantage of a hazardous header from Trent Alexander-Arnold to lob Alisson Becker and push the ball into the net for the 2 -0 (36th).
🤩 ¡VINI, VIDI, VICI!
🤩 @ vinijr |
#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/BiPRnmSREs
- Real Madrid CF (@realmadrid) April 6, 2021
Returning from the locker room, Mohamed Salah reduced the gap by resuming a strike countered by Diogo Jota, placed just under the crossbar of Thibaut Courtois (51st), then Vinicius, in a great evening, sealed the score by resuming the point penalty a pass from Modric (65th).
In difficulty to defend his title in La Liga (3rd) and eliminated from all other competitions, Real Madrid showed its domination in THE fetish competition of its coach: despite the pitfalls, Zidane still managed to re-mobilize his team for his 50th game Champions League on the merengue bench.
The Madrilenians got back into the game, taking advantage of the defensive softness and the multiple individual mistakes made by the red curtain ... even if their own defensive deficiencies were already being felt before the break.
But the two goals in quick succession temporarily concealed this permeability: this is the 23rd game of the knockout phase of C1 in a row where Real Madrid scores at least one goal (since 2016), the best series in the history of the competition. .
And Vinicius, often criticized for his lack of efficiency and foresight as he approached the area, proved with this double that he has his place in Zidane's prestigious eleven.
Klopp, the admission of failure
On the Liverpool side, this heavy setback is a terrible admission of failure for the Klopp emblem, which again loses against Zidane after the C1 final lost 3-1 on May 26, 2018 in Kiev.
The German technician, who had decided to align Naby Keïta in place of Thiago Alcantara in the midfield, confessed his tactical error just before the break, by removing the Guinean international to bring in the Spanish international (42nd) .
A change that transfigured the lackluster Liverpool of the first period, who had not attempted a single strike before half-time.
Upon returning from the locker room, the Reds appeared much more incisive, more enterprising, and Mohamed Salah's away goal gave hope to a whole club.
But in this continental clash between two European behemoths in decline in C1 over the past two seasons, it is Liverpool who has appeared the most in decline, while Real will quickly have to turn to their La Liga clasico on Saturday against FC Barcelona.
The upside is that this time around, unlike 2018, the Reds have a home game on April 14 to try to redeem themselves.
With AFP
The summary of the week
France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 application
google-play-badge_FR