Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid: ‘Something special brewing at Slot’s incredible Reds’
No one embodies that desire better than 21-year-old right-back Conor Bradley, whose performances suggest Liverpool could be on the road if Trent Alexander-Arnold (as has been speculated) takes the road. Waiting for a perfect replacement. Go to the Bernabeu in the summer.
Bradley has performed well before, but considering the occasion and ability of his opponent, this was his best performance to date. Hopefully the later injuries won’t be serious.
The Northern Ireland defender found himself up against Kylian Mbappe on the flank. To say he gave the great striker a difficult time would be an understatement.
Mbappe endured a nightmare night and even missed a second-half penalty that would have given Real Madrid an equalizer – but one moment in their individual battles stood out above the rest.
In the 31st minute, the striker charged forward dangerously towards Kopp until he was interrupted by a thunderous, perfectly legal challenge that saw both the ball and Mbappe cleared.
Liverpool fans stood to celebrate the tackle, Bradley’s name echoed around Anfield and Mbappe struggled to regain his dignity.
It wasn’t the only time Bradley was praised in song, as his goal with Alexis McAllister finally gave Liverpool their due after 52 minutes. He was even a goalscoring threat himself, although he might have done better with a direct header towards Thibaut Courtois.
When he limped off with three minutes left and was replaced by Joe Gomez, the Liverpool fans gave him another standing ovation.
Alexander-Arnold will be watching with admiration from the bench. Liverpool don’t want to lose such a fine local talent, but Bradley’s emergence suggests the blow could be softened if that comes to fruition.
Liverpool can now turn their attention to Manchester City, who are currently in a serious slump. Slaughter’s team couldn’t be in better health, with their head coach calmly directing them.
City haven’t had much fun at Anfield in the past, even during Pep Guardiola’s glory days. In their current form, they won’t enjoy facing this rampant side.
Even Slaughter admitted to being a little surprised by his record so far, saying: “I don’t have a timetable in terms of the points I want. You want to implement this style of play as quickly as possible. It’s not difficult, Because it’s not that different from Jurgen’s.
“What’s great is that not only the starters, but the players that are playing are doing what we expect. If I had counted the points at this point in the season before the season started, I wouldn’t be counting the way I am now”.
Manchester City may fear they will encounter a perfect storm from Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday as the slot machine continues to look for new gear, according to mounting evidence.
