Liverpool 2 Real Madrid 0: tactical analysis

Liverpool continued their impressive form under Arne Slot with a convincing victory at Anfield against the reigning Spanish and European champions. The home team came into this meeting full of confidence, with an eight-point lead in the Premier League and having won all of their cup games so far this season. Real Madrid, by contrast, had suffered a wobble by their lofty standards – losing twice already in Europe and being thrashed 4-0 at home by Barcelona. And the visitors rarely looked like upsetting predictions that this was a good time for Liverpool to face them.

Goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo decided the game, although the home team were grateful to Caoimhín Kelleher for saving a Kylian Mbappé penalty that would have levelled matters in the second half. Mohammed Salah did indeed level the score – at least in terms of missed penalties – when he wasted a chance to score Liverpool’s second. The home side, however, were not to be denied.

How the managers saw it

“I think we controlled the first half with creating a few chances,” said Slot, “but I also thought we were still a bit sloppy, so we lost the ball in very easy situations or we forced it a bit too much. I said, ‘Try to be even more patient, let the gaps open up instead of forcing them.’ Then it helps if, the first seven minutes after half-time I think we had total dominance, they even didn’t come across the halfway line.”

“We held our own in the first half, but we made some poor decisions with our final pass,” said Carlo Ancelotti. “We competed and fought until the [Mbappe] penalty. I'm satisfied that the team competed well.… I have no regrets about the approach. The idea was to defend well and come out from the back with the ball. We had superiority in four or five transitions. The approach was fine.”

Central threats

With their 4-3-3, Liverpool had both number eights – Mac Allister and Curtis Jones – positioned very high, aiming to receive in pockets of space between Real Madrid’s full-backs and centre-backs. When Liverpool’s full-backs or Ryan Gravenberch stepped forward with the ball, they drew out one of Madrid’s midfield line, from the visitor’s 4-4-2 block. This created bigger spaces between the lines for Liverpool's narrow trio to combine, centrally, and attack the centre-backs (below).

The home side’s central-combinations continued throughout the first half, with Thibaut Courtois forced to make multiple saves. Luis Díaz moved centrally from a wide-left starting position, working off dropping movements from Mac Allister or Jones. This ensured that Darwin Núñez always had two teammates close by, to link and create with. Luis Díaz’s movement also allowed Andy Robertson to push forward from left-back, with right-back Conor Bradley much more reserved in the first half – likely wary of Mbappé’s counter-attacking potential.

By contrast, Madrid had few central threats. From their 4-4-2 defensive shape, Mbappé moved wide-left, supported by left-back Ferland Mendy’s runs from deep. Jude Bellingham was on the left of midfield when defending, but in possession moved central to create a midfield trio, ahead of Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga. Brahim Díaz and Arda Güler, meanwhile, worked off one another to combine in the right inside-channel. Despite all of these movements, Liverpool’s centre-backs often had no one to mark or track, and Madrid didn’t have a single attempt on target in the first half.

In the second half, Bradley made forward runs to join Liverpool’s attack, remaining narrow, but ending very high. From one of these runs he had a header that was saved superbly by Courtois after 51 minutes, as Liverpool started the second half on the front foot.

Bradley’s forward running and new positioning was key to creating further chances. He dragged Bellingham deep into his own penalty area, creating further space around or between Madrid’s central-midfield pair (below). Mac Allister duly put Liverpool into a deserved lead, after another superb central combination with Bradley.

Ancelotti responding

Within five minutes of Liverpool taking a 52nd minute lead, Ancelotti made two substitutions, bringing on Lucas Vázquez for Arda Güler, and Dani Ceballos for the injured Camavinga. Ancelotti’s changes gave Madrid a new shape, in which they had improved central connections (below). Vázquez moved high from right-back, with Brahim Díaz wide on the left, supported by forward runs from Mendy, more often than not moving inside from left-back. Ceballos, Modric and Federico Valverde were back in central midfield, while Bellingham occupied and rotated through the central areas, giving them a much better platform to break Liverpool’s defensive shape. They won a penalty soon after, only for Kelleher to save Mbappé’s effort.

Ancelotti’s changes helped Madrid have more of the ball, while placing more players in higher and more effective positions. On the flip side, they were more susceptible to counter-attacks against a Liverpool side that was a major transitional threat, flying forward from deeper regains in their 4-1-4-1 block. Jones’ was full of running and energy from midfield, joining the front trio of Gakpo (on for Núñez after 68 minutes), Luis Díaz as the number nine, and Salah (below).

Slot’s side targeted the spaces left by Madrid’s high full-backs. They were awarded a penalty after 69 minutes when a marauding Salah was felled by Mendy, only for the Egyptian to miss the target from the spot. Undeterred, Liverpool extended their lead with a Gakpo header from a Robertson cross, following a short corner.

Real Madrid had been Liverpool’s nemesis during Jürgen Klopp’s time in charge, beating the Reds in two Champions League finals and knocking them out on two other occasions. Indeed, Madrid had not lost to Liverpool in their previous eight meetings over the course of a decade. Not only did Slot’s team end that run, but victory left them the only team in the new Champions League group stage with a 100 per cent record, after five rounds. Madrid, meanwhile, languish 24th in the standings, with a fight to finish in the top eight and avoid a two-legged playoff for the last 16. 

To learn more about football tactics and gain insights from coaches at the top of the game, visit CV Academy