Champions League: Liverpool’s dream run continues as Arne Slot does what Jurgen Klopp couldn’t – beat Real Madrid | Football News
It has already been a dream start to life at Anfield for new Liverpool manager Arne Slot, and it only got better on Wednesday night. Facing Real Madrid – who have been a thorn in Liverpool’s flesh – Slot’s men produced a clinical all-round display to win 2-0. The defending champions have struggled in the new UCL format, losing three out of their five matches so far, but the fortunes couldn’t be more contrasting for the Reds, who are the only side with a 100% win record this season in Europe’s elite competition.
With that result, Liverpool beat Real Madrid in the Champions League for the first time since 2009, when Rafael Benitez was in charge at Anfield. It ended an eight-game winless run against the Spanish giants, which included two heartbreaking losses in finals under Jurgen Klopp. The German manager – who oversaw a hugely successful tenure with Liverpool – could never quite crack the Real Madrid puzzle, despite coming close – like when they blew a 0-2 lead at Anfield recently.
Liverpool are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table and have won 17 of their 19 matches so far in 2024/25. If there were any doubts as to how Liverpool would fare after Klopp’s exit at the end of last season, Slot has answered that emphatically. With his team top of both the Champions League and the Premier League, the Dutchman has made an astonishing start since replacing Juergen Klopp, adding more solidity at the back and control in midfield without sacrificing attacking threat.“I didn’t have a schedule in terms of the amount of points I wanted. You want to implement the playing style as soon as possible. That is not difficult because it wasn’t that different to Jurgen’s,” he said.
“You know how special it is to play against a team that has won the Champions League so many times. They were a pain for Liverpool for many years too,” said Slot. “We are only five games in, in the new format, we are happy where we are, but we’re not getting carried away.”
(With Reuters inputs)
