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Conor Bradley was driven amidst the overwhelming support from Liverpool's faithful, whereas Trent Alexander-Arnold – the Scouser who left Liverpool behind – was given a brutal and hostile reminder about his diminished standing.

The young defender was marked to fill the void left from the moment he announced his decision to move on from the Reds towards the Spanish giants, so once the fates paired the two European superpowers competing in the tournament, all was ready.

A dramatic comparison emerged it was as the 22-year-old full-back emerged as the standout figure during the Reds' showing that harked back from their dominant seasons while Real Madrid were overwhelmed.

Trent, beginning from the sidelines, all the while was left in no doubt how the fans who once sang his former iconic role currently view him.

This was an event of unrelenting ill-feeling directed towards the defender, starting with his public artwork damaged with the words "Adios El Rata" ahead of the match and the stadium's fury sparked by actions that supporters consider as his betrayal.

Conor Bradley intensified the anger and disdain aimed in Alexander-Arnold's direction through an outstanding performance that neutralized the dangerous Brazilian star to an observer, reduced to表演 – ineffective dramatics – against Bradley's commanding presence.

Every Bradley tackle was cheered to the echo, all his balls welcomed with Anfield's approval, vocals celebrating him enthusiastically, not only for his performance and as a clear signal for Alexander-Arnold announcing a fresh face on the scene, that he was now firmly from a previous era.

Bradley, unsurprisingly, garnered praise from manager Arne Slot.

The defender was magnificent, he said. To be up against Vinicius so many times one against one is not for everyone, but he handled it superbly.

Had the graffiti displayed on Trent's public artwork hadn't alerted him of what was awaiting him, there was unmistakable evidence during his warm-up to warm-up as one of the Spanish squad's backups prior to the start, jeers ringing around Anfield, the sound of disapproval heard again as his name was read out.

And just when it looked he would miss the complete hostility, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso brought him on as a late replacement as they tried to level Liverpool's lead, justly achieved through the midfielder's aerial finish just after the hour.

The response to Alexander-Arnold's arrival proved brutal, plus sarcastic shouts following a poor delivery that drifted aimlessly beyond the boundary.

The defender's brief, negative showing was played out to the sound the crowd referencing of those who had stayed loyal despite temptations and opportunities to exit the club, particularly ex-skipper Gerrard, present in the crowd.

This match showcased Liverpool, Conor's moment – exactly the type of occasion the stadium loves as the presence of their former star served as additional motivation to increase the intensity.

And Liverpool, who had looked lost following poor results before Aston Villa were beaten last weekend, responded with a performance that represented their peak this season, an important demonstration of the standard that helped them secure the trophy.

Slot appreciated the response to victory, stating: It is nicer if you win games rather than losing matches. If you lose, then it takes your complete attention as you intensely desire to improve the situation, yet you attempt to maintain your approach and character when you are winning.

It was only the shadow of the talented shot-stopper the Belgian who almost prevented Liverpool from achieving what they merited, via a remarkable showing evoking past matches of how he defied them when Jurgen Klopp's team lost the European showpiece at the Stade de France.

Courtois produced several superb interventions, including four from Dominik Szoboszlai plus an incredible reaction save against Van Dijk's aerial effort, until eventually he couldn't prevent to stop Mac Allister's header from the Hungarian's free-kick.

The slim winning difference barely represents their domination from first whistle to last, these important points pushing them into sixth place in the European standings, a standing that will put them direct qualification avoiding the requirement to a play-off if maintained.

Szoboszlai and Mac Allister ruled midfield, while Florian Wirtz provided elegant moments during his German career. Ekitike posed continuous threats during the game.

Liverpool were, unlike so often recent performances, extremely solid defensively while Mbappe became ineffective, producing a poor, mistake-filled performance. Vinicius had been beaten by Conor well before full-time.

While proving a difficult evening for Alexander-Arnold, it was not much better for the English midfielder, offered the Anfield stage to deliver a reminder his ability before England head coach selects his roster in the coming matches after being left out recently.

Bellingham created a single threat in the first half testing the shot-stopper to save with his legs, but was otherwise anonymous {as Real failed to establish|