A goalless draw at Anfield on Wednesday saw Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 on aggregate to reach the last four of the Champions League.
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Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 on aggregate to reach the last four of the Champions League. At Anfield, Liverpool came out all guns blazing, desperate to overturn a 3-1 deficit from the first leg at Madrid. But Los Blancos’ stood firm in defence to ensure the UCL elimination of the English champions. Despite missing a number of their first choice players due to injuries, the Zinedine Zidane-managed side did enough to secure a 0-0 draw.
Liverpool started the game on the front foot and got the best chance of the game in the second minute when Salah was one on one against the Real keeper Courtois. But the Belgian number one denied the Egyptian striker with a fine save. Courtois also stopped Milner’s long ranger from outside the box. Real’s number one made some fine saves in the match to keep a clean sheet.
The 2020/21 semi-finals are set ✅
??? Who will reach the final in Istanbul❓#UCL pic.twitter.com/W7KUOm1uah
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 14, 2021
Real Madrid displayed a defensive master class to frustrate the Jurgen Klopp side. Real were without the likes of Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Dani Carvajal in defence but managed to prevent Liverpool from scoring.
Jurgen Klopp named a strong starting lineup. Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane upfront with Fabinho, James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum in the midfield.
Klopp probably missed a trick by not starting with Thiago Alcantara, whose quick passing would have helped structure faster attacks.
Casemiro was exceptional for Real Madrid in front of the defence, but even the backline deserves a mention. The makeshift defence of Nacho, Militao and Valvarde rose to the occasion.
That being said, Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior didn’t quite do justice to the chances they got.
The 13 time European winners have now qualified for their 30th European Cup/UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Real will take on Premier League side Chelsea in the semis.
