Liverpool vs Real Madrid: the best moments in the classic match-up

Combined, they have 20 UEFA Champions League titles, 54 league titles and endless tales of dramatic European nights. Welcome to the next instalment of Liverpool versus Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League*.

In preparation before you watch another classic unfold between the two teams (live on Showmax Pro on Tuesday, 21 February 2023, courtesy of SuperSport), here are the moments that has made this fixture one of the biggest European match-ups you could get.

2018/09 Round of 16 – The night Liverpool tore Real apart

There aren’t many instances of Real Madrid being thrashed in the UEFA Champions League, but that is exactly what Liverpool did to them in the second leg of this knockout tie.

After losing the first leg 1-0 at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid had no option but to be attacking in the return leg at Anfield. That just opened up so many holes and the Reds were relentless.

Fernando Torres opened the scoring (which would have pumped him up, being a former Atletico player). Steven Gerrard followed suit with a classic brace and to complete the humiliation, a collector’s item goal from Andrea Dossena made it 4-0.

2014/15 Group Stage – The night Real taught the Reds a lesson

After four years out of the UEFA Champions League, Liverpool returned to the tournament under Brendan Rodgers with Real Madrid showing the Reds that they had plenty to learn before they could succeed in Europe again.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a superb goal and the ex-Manchester United star was ecstatic to silence the Anfield crowd.

Karim Benzema also got on the scoresheet with a great header. It wouldn’t be the last time he’d hurt Liverpool.

2017/18 Final – The 13th title for Real

It was a heavyweight final in Kyiv that was filled with the good, the bad and the ugly.

It started with the ugly when Sergio Ramos managed to get Mo Salah to fall over while in an armlock that saw the Egyptian dislocate his shoulder, which resulted in him leaving the field. Liverpool have had revenge motivation from this fixture ever since.

Then came the bad as Loris Karius inexplicably rolled out a throw that went straight into Karim Benzema’s path where he deflected it into an empty net. The German goalkeeper has been known as “Calamity Karius” ever since.

Then came the good (and wow, was it good). A cross came in and Gareth Bale went for an overhead kick and scored one of the most memorable goals in the tournament’s history.

Real Madrid went on to win 3-1 and lift the trophy. Liverpool dusted themselves off and won the trophy the next year.

2021/22 Final – The night Liverpool just couldn’t score

You know a winning team has spent a lot of the game in trouble when the goalkeeper was named man of the match. If he was busy enough to impress, there were clearly way too many shots coming in.

Liverpool were going for a third trophy of the season and were fuelled by the events the last time these teams met in the final. They created many chances, but they came up against a sublime performance from Thibaut Courtois who produced many quality saves.

Vinicius Junior crowned off a wonderful season with a winning goal that made Real lift the trophy.

If history is to repeat itself where Liverpool follow up a final loss against Real by winning the trophy the next season, they are going to have to exact that sought-after revenge against Los Blancos at a much earlier knockout stage.

*Note that the UEFA Champions League is only available to Showmax Pro subscribers in South Africa.

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