Liverpool saw a dreamlike start drift into a nightmare against Real Madrid in last night’s Champions League clash at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s men raced into a two-goal need courtesy of a lovely finish from Darwin Nunez before a howler from Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois allowed Mohamed Salah to poke to ball into the net and it appeared the Liverpool of old had finally arrived.
The La Liga side scored two of their own before half-time, with Alisson having his own Loris Karius moment to give away the equaliser and Madrid raced away to score three more in the second half as it finished 5-2.
It was a hugely uncharacteristic error from a goalkeeper who has been nothing short of exceptional during his spell at Anfield.
Attempting to clear the ball away from his penalty area, he struck the ball right against Vinicius Jr who scored what will likely go down as the luckiest of his career.
In truth, the whole Liverpool defence were woeful. Andy Robertson lost possession 16 times and was dribbled past on two occasions, allowing Rodrygo the chance to complete two successful dribbles against the left-back.
He also failed to contribute in an attacking sense, with his four crosses unsuccessful while making zero key passes during the tie and Klopp needs to be demanding more from his full-back.
Yet, it was Joe Gomez who had the biggest shocker against the reigning European Champions, contributing heavily to the defeat.
How did Joe Gomez play against Real Madrid?
Having starred in his previous two Premier League matches, keeping clean sheets in both matches, his partnership with Virgil van Dijk was expected to fight hard against Madrid’s front three.
A Sofascore rating of 5.8/10 ranked him as the worst outfield player in the Liverpool starting XI and he clearly struggled against the pace and intensity of Karim Benzema, Vinicius Jr, and Rodrygo during his 73-minute spell.
Journalist Mark Ogden wasn’t impressed with the right side of the Reds’ defensive unit, saying: “Real really targeting Liverpool’s right defensive flank. TAA not really helping Joe Gomez much and Gomez struggling to cope with Vini Jr.”
Gomez made just one clearance and one interception in what was described as a “nightmare” game for the centre-back by Canadian journalist Demar Grant.
The Englishman also won just one of his total duels contested, lost possession six times, and committed two fouls, turning in a shocking performance and one that gives Liverpool a very slim chance of progressing into the quarter-finals.
Of course, the away goal rule being scrapped gives them a glimmer of hope, with a 4-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu enough to see them head through. And who can remember the last time the club were trailing by three goals to a Spanish side after a first-leg defeat in the Champions League?
Klopp will be seeking to envisage the spirit of that famous night at Anfield back in 2019 vs Barcelona, although, with the way they are playing of late, it will be a minor miracle if they manage to score once let alone four times.