Rio Ferdinand keeps messing with us, attacks Liverpool player

Reality is the dregs of illusion. And Liverpool took a scourge of objectivity in Madrid. Real fulfilled point for point the script that the 2-5 match demanded as a starting point. They played with firmness and poise. Applied from start to finish, even more energetically than their pale opponents, who never revolted after the first leg's shattering. Today it was not enough for them. At times, as if it was Madrid who had to come back.

Maybe it was out of habit. What is certain is that Real, never troubled, imposed themselves by football, by vibrations, by wisdom. Benzema put his stamp on the game with a late goal. Before that, the home side had already carved out a string of chances. Liverpool, dismissed with the Never Walk Alone for their gesture in the first leg with the late Amancio, did not even ruffle their feathers.

For Madrid, it was a Liverpool side difficult to infer. Bizarre from the line-up, standoffish and with no pace on the live ball. Nothing to do with Jürgen Klopp's bet with four attackers with the candour of his boys. The approach planned from the board only disguised a Liverpool lacking in volume, barely prepared to cope and avoid another thrashing. A bargain for Real Madrid, never in a hurry.

Ferdinand spoke about Virgil

Former Manchester United player River Ferdinand spoke in an interview about what he considered Liverpool's worst player in the defeat to Real Madrid and that was Virgil van Dijk: "Sometimes in your career things don't go to plan, but when you look at the great centre-backs like Terry, Stam, Vidic, Kompany. I don't remember those players having a season off or big periods in the season where it isn't going well."