Mané's departure and Firmino's dropping of Firmino to the bench has faded a worn out team, which has not found the right replacements, especially after the injury of the Colombian Luis Díaz. Darwin Núñez is not working and Gakpo has some goal and little play. Madrid, that Madrid of Kroos, Modric and Benzema that seems infinite, still has enough to show in the first leg and handle the second leg at will.
Since the Anfield thunderstorm, the English side have metabolised their inferiority to the bone. It was evident in the first leg and when they had to face a Himalayan duel. Ready for the bugle call, Liverpool were left with nothing. Lacking midfielders due to the absence of Thiago, Henderson and Bajcetic, in Madrid they had to rely on the worn-out Milner and Fabinho as the only link-up play. Insufficient to control the game, to bait the attacking pack.
Liverpool, neither short nor long. Barely with a few more steps in the final stretch of the first half. But without any major alerts for Los Blancos. Ancelotti's team, as close to goal in the first half as in the second. For any dream comeback, Liverpool required Salah, but it was Alisson, their goalkeeper, who made the headlines. Steady to win a fencing duel with Valverde, who shortly afterwards missed a header by a fingertip. As Benzema was given a shot after being called upon by Vinicius.
One of the players in whom the German coach Jürgen Klopp has the least confidence is undoubtedly the Portuguese Favio Carvalho, who was brought on as a substitute in the match against Real Madrid to be on the pitch for a minute before the final whistle. Given this lack of confidence, any player in the world would be furious with his coach, but Fabio understands that he is in a process of growth and his surprising reaction is to accept the secondary role he has at the club.
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