'This is a reality check!': Liverpool rebuild begins now after Real Madrid humiliation

A night that began with a Liverpool rebellion on and off the field ended with a chorus of "Oles" from the visiting support as Real Madrid ran riot to win the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie 5-2.

A repeat of last season's final offered the Reds the chance for revenge and to save a season to forget.

Instead Liverpool's frailties were brutally exposed by the Spanish giants despite conceding twice inside the first 15 minutes.

There was an extra edge to Anfield's normal noise on a big European night.

An independent investigation into the chaotic scenes surrounding the Champions League final in Paris last May has laid the blame clearly at UEFA's door for endangering the safety of supporters.

The Liverpool fans were in no mood to forgive European football's governing body as the competition's anthem was booed and banners aimed at UEFA and the French authorities sprinkled over the Kop.

Jurgen Klopp's players were charged by the electric atmosphere that rocked Madrid back on their heels.

The decision to invest the vast majority of Liverpool's summer transfer budget in Darwin Nunez rather than refreshing a tired midfield has been consistently questioned as the Reds have rapidly gone backwards this season.

But the 67 million ($80 million) striker showed a flash of what he is capable of with a brilliant backheel to open the scoring before Mohamed Salah pounced on an uncharacteristic error from Thibaut Courtois to make it 2-0.

There was a time when a 2-0 deficit to Klopp's Liverpool would have seemed insurmountable to even the European champions.

But in 2023 alone they have shipped three goals to Brighton, Brentford and Wolves and suffered even greater punishment when faced with the razor sharp quality of Madrid in the final