Real Madrid drew their away game against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.
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Real Madrid had held the advantage against Liverpool after they had won the first leg of the UEFA Champions League 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Heading into the return leg at Anfield, Real Madrid knew that they only had to avoid defeat. However, before the match, there was tension. Despite the coronavirus threat, fans assembled outside Anfield and gave Real Madrid a hostile welcome.
Fans lined the streets around Anfield letting off flares, before events quickly turned sour.
Madrid’s bus was pelted with various objects. This resulted in a smashed window. It was a similar treatment received by Man City in 2018. No one inside the bus was hurt. Liverpool staff cleaned the shattered glass outside the stadium.
However, midfielder Federico Valverde has said the attack on the team bus only motivated them to do better. Speaking after the match, Valverde, who plays for Uruguay, stated, “It gave us extra motivation. We thought ‘Ok, now on the field we are going to go out to kill and to leave everything behind,” Valverde said.
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.
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. For Liverpool, all the highs of 2020 seem to have evaporated.
