Reigning European champions Real Madrid came from 2-0 down to thrash Liverpool 5-2 in a Champions League classic at Anfield, firmly seizing the initiative in the last 16.
A repeat of last season's final, this tie was the pick of the round – and the pulsating first leg well and truly lived up to the billing, on a night of attacking brilliance and goalkeeping calamity on Merseyside.
Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema both bagged braces for Real, who became the first visiting team ever to score four goals against Liverpool in a European match.
2-0 - Liverpool are the first team in UEFA Champions League history to take a 2-0 lead but then lose the game by a three-goal margin. Dangerous.February 21, 2023
It had all begun so well for Liverpool, who led inside four minutes through Darwin Nunez's jaw-dropping backheel. That lead was soon doubled when Mo Salah took full advantage of Thibaut Courtois' horrible miscontrol to become the Reds' all-time top European scorer with 44 goals, overtaking Steven Gerrard.
But Real were to lay the foundations for their comprehensive comeback before half-time: Vinicius Junior bent a sublime strike around Alisson from just inside the box to halve the deficit, before seeing the Reds' goalkeeper's lax clearance career off him and into the empty net for 2-2.
THAT IS SILKY! 🤯Karim Benzema is the coolest man on the planet 🥶What a goal! 💥#UCL pic.twitter.com/FFLHjcpMxUFebruary 21, 2023
And Carlo Ancelotti's side never looked back from there. Sloppy marking from Liverpool allowed Eder Militao to head Real in front, before Karim Benzema's deflected effort gave the Spanish giants breathing space.
Benzema – who had gone five Champions League appearances without a goal – then doubled his tally for the night with a patient finish to put Los Blancos truly out of sight.
The result means Liverpool have now failed to win any of their last seven games against Real, losing six of those. They must win the second leg at the Bernabeu in three weeks' time by three goals just to take the tie to extra time.
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