Classy Real Madrid outshine Liverpool in Champions League 1st leg at Alfredo di Stefano
- Real Madrid vs Liverpool Champions League meeting ended 3-1 at Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium
- Vinicius Jr was the man of the moment during the thrilling clash as he scored a brace
- Liverpool now face a mountainous task of overturning the scoreline during the second leg for a chance to reach the semis
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Real Madrid have taken a huge step towards booking a place in the semifinals of the Champions League after seeing off Liverpool in the first leg of their last eight fixture played on the evening of Tuesday, April 6, at Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium.
Source: Getty Images
Vinicius Jr was arguably the man of the moment during the thrilling clash, with the Real youngster stepping up to fill the void left by a number of key players who missed the clash.
The Reds were looking to avenge their 3-1 heartbreaking defeat in the hands of the Spanish giants during their 2018 meeting in the finals of the competition played in Kyiv, Ukraine.
However, Zinedine Zidane's men proved too hot to handle for the Premier League side, with Vinicius Jr, scoring twice to set his side on course to a semi-final qualification.
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The Brazilian ace broke the tie's deadlock three minutes before the half-hour mark with a majestic goal, controlling the ball superbly from Toni Kroos' long pass before lashing a low effort past Alisson Becker.
Marco Asensio doubled the advantage nearly 10 minutes later, capitalizing on Trent Alexander-Arnold's defensive howler to make it 2-0 for Los Blancos.
The Spaniard should have completed a brace minutes before the break, but missed a great chance to score after Alisson moved with speed to crucially save his low shot with his legs.
Mohamed Salah drew one back for the Merseysiders in the 51st minute despite earlier calls for an offside.
However, hopes for Liverpool to restore parity were dented in the 65th minute when Vinicius Jr scored his second, screwing a first-time shot into the back of the net after Luka Modric brilliantly squared the ball for him from a throw-in.
Jurgen Klopp's men dominated proceedings in the closing stages of the match, but could not make their loads of possession count.
They now face a mountainous task of overturning the scoreline during the second leg for a chance to reach the semis and potentially repeat their 2019 heroics to lift the coveted European title.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that Real Madrid earned maximum points with a 2-0 win over Eibar at the Alfred di Stefano Stadium in a La Liga fixture.
A goal on each half from Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema was enough for Zinedine Zidane men for the victory.
Madrid played free-flowing football but were unlucky not to have scored up to four goals in the opening 45 minutes.
Source: Legit.ng
Akan Anwankwo Akan Anwankwo is a sports editor, a graduate of English Language and Literature Studies at the University of Lagos. He's passionate about what he does and finds fulfillment in informing readers.
Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com
