Liverpool close in Champions League last-16 with overdue win against Real Madrid

Liverpool ended a 15-year wait for a win over Real Madrid as goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo put them on the brink of guaranteeing a place in the last 16 with a fifth successive win.

They say revenge is a dish best served cold and on a chilly night on Merseyside Liverpool finally got one over on their European nemesis for the first time since 2009, also on this ground, with a deserved 2-0 success.

They could even afford the rare sight of Mohamed Salah missing a penalty, moments after Caoimhin Kelleher added another moment to a highlight reel already substantial for a second-choice goalkeeper by saving Kylian Mbappe’s spot-kick.

Victory over the 15-time winners has seemed especially long in coming as seven defeats and a draw in the last eight meetings barely tell the whole story after two heartbreaking final losses in 2018 and 2022.

And while extending their 100 per cent record to maintain top spot and providing a huge morale boost ahead of Sunday’s visit of Manchester City the result cannot erase the hurt previously inflicted.

This injury-ravaged Madrid side still contains two players of their generation in Mbappe and Jude Bellingham but they are currently not the force they were, although you would still not rule them out of being involved in Munich in May such is their pedigree in the competition.

But for now the Arne Slot bandwagon rolls on with a remarkable 17th win in 19 matches.

For a while it appeared Darwin Nunez, who has been strangely lacking in his traditional catalytic chaos this season, would take centre-stage as he looked up for the challenge in his third successive start.

But while the will was there he was all out of luck as in only the fourth minute he saw his shot saved by Thibaut Courtois