Real Madrid vs. Liverpool: 4 burning questions after a 3-1 victory
How will Liverpool respond?
I knew that we should expect a weaker Liverpool team as compared to 2019-2020 and even 2018-2019, but I was honestly shocked by how poorly they played this Tuesday. Jurgen Klopp’s gameplan seemed totally off his usual standard, and his response to Zidane’s tactical setup was underwhelming.
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Liverpool were toothless in the first half, and while they rebounded in the second, it really wasn’t enough. Some of the personnel decisions were quizzical, such as sacrificing Ozan Kabak for Xherdan Shaqiri or even starting Naby Keita over Thiago in the first place.
It was a dreadful performance from the Reds, particularly in the first half. Real Madrid thoroughly outclassed them. But while the 3-1 lead does leave me confident heading into the second leg at Anfield, I know better than to think this tie is over. There is still work to be done.
Liverpool are not going to play this poorly in the second leg. There’s just no way they come out and look this unprepared, particularly defensively.
Klopp is having a rough year, but he’ll want to prove this isn’t the same as the end of his tenures at Dortmund and Mainz. I want to see how Liverpool select their XI, engage their press, and set up their defensive and midfield lines in the second leg in response to Real’s dominance on Tuesday night.
What do we make of Marco Asensio’s performance?
Marco Asensio is on a hot streak in front of goal, which is a welcome change from what Madridistas have seen for most of the 2020-2021 season. After finally getting a full 90 minutes of rest against Elche, Asensio has scored in every subsequent match since. He came off the bench to find the back of the net in 3-1 wins over Atalanta and Celta Vigo, he score this weekend against Eibar, and he scored in this latest 3-1 Champions League triumph vs. Liverpool.
The common thread among Asensio’s goals is composure. Whereas Asensio was missing easy chance after easy chance in previous months, he has been downright suave in front of goal in the last few weeks.
Well, mostly suave. Because in the second half of the match, Asensio showed some of his bad, antsy tendencies from earlier this season, flubbing a couple of more opportunities to extend Real’s lead heading into the second leg.
Next. 4 takeaways from Real Madrid vs. Liverpool. dark
But despite the imperfections, Asensio played well. He worked hard defensively for the team, too, which was another issue in his game earlier this season. Asensio legitimately looks reinvigorated when I watch him play, and Madridistas have turned the corner on him. Even if he has some slip-ups in the final third, as long as he keeps scoring and working hard off the ball, fans will continue to back him. It means a lot to have Asensio and Vinicius playing to their potential and, yes, scoring goals.