TA: The Red Army defeated Real Madrid with a Premier League set piece, and Wirtz performed his best performance since joining.

In the fourth round of the Champions League, Liverpool beat Real Madrid 1-0 at home, with McAllister scoring the winning goal. "The Athletic" wrote an article analyzing this game.

Liverpool had a big night at Anfield, and it was a painful defeat for Real Madrid. Head-to-head meetings between these two teams are always high-level and dramatic, and this was no exception, although most of the action came from the home side.

How encouraging is this for Liverpool?

A week ago, Liverpool suffered 4 consecutive losses in the Premier League and was eliminated from the League Cup. The season seemed to be in jeopardy. Slott experienced the first serious decline in Liverpool's coaching career. After a difficult victory over Villa in the last round of the Premier League, defeating Real Madrid gave Liverpool a real shot in the arm.

This was a typical European night at Anfield. The home team players were deeply inspired and Slott's selection was also very good. The only personnel change compared to the league was that Wirtz replaced Gakpo on the left and performed well.

In November last year, Liverpool defeated Real Madrid and easily defeated Manchester City shortly after. Slott certainly hopes to copy history, because this Sunday they will go to the Etihad to challenge Manchester City. It is crucial to maintain today's level.

Did Bradley make Anfield forget about Alexander-Arnold?

Arnold failed to start, and the kop stands sang: "There is only one Connor Bradley." Red Army fans chose to pay tribute to the current player instead of mocking the predecessor.

Injuries in the preseason affected Bradley's state at the beginning of the season. Last week's victory over Villa was a major turning point. Today against Real Madrid, he continued his outstanding performance. Bradley was both tough and calm in the confrontation with Vinicius, making the Brazilian star more and more frustrated as he played, and even received a yellow card for a foul. Bradley was also active on the offensive end, creating opportunities for the team by running inside.

When facing Bellingham and Mbappe, Bradley showed no sign of weakness. In the last 10 minutes of the game, Arnold came on as a substitute, and boos rang out. His touches and mistakes made the boos even louder. At this time, Real Madrid also played more and more impatiently. At the end of the game, Bradley's name rang out in the Kop stands again. This praise is well-deserved.

Should Liverpool get a penalty?

In the 31st minute, Szoboszlai's long-range shot was blocked by Joan Armeni with his arm. Referee Kovac decisively whistled for a free kick. VAR did not change the decision after a long discussion. Kovac believed that Joan Armene's arm was in its natural position and no penalty was awarded. Former Premier League whistle Clattenburg said a penalty should have been awarded because Joan Armene's hands were not close enough to his body.

But former La Liga star Laos believes that Joan Armene's arm "cannot be in a more natural position." This once again proves that it is difficult for even experienced referees to determine the specific standards of handball.

How did the Premier League's set-piece tactics defeat Real Madrid?

Courtuva made only one save in the first half, but the situation changed drastically in the second half. Van Dyke and Ekitic continued to create threats. The decisive moment of the game ultimately came from a free kick from the right.

On the list of chances created through set pieces in the Premier League, Liverpool ranks only 11th (2.0 times per game). In terms of set-piece defense, Real Madrid allows the opponent to get 2.5 chances per game. In the Premier League, it is only better than Villa, West Ham, Burnley, Nottingham Forest and Wolves, 4 of which are facing the threat of relegation.

Is this Wirtz's best performance since joining Liverpool?

In such a critical week, yes, he showed this kind of performance. After emerging on the left wing, Wirtz was given a free-roaming role. He performed well early in the game, with solid ball control, accurate passing, and very active pressing without the ball. In the 10th minute, he stole Huizen and created a chance for McAllister, but the latter missed the shot.

Wiltz uses quick passes to help the team advance, and his cooperation with Ekitic is also quite threatening. Before the end of the first half, he also completed a beautiful turn and got rid of the opponent, causing a foul, and cooperated with McAllister to create another shooting opportunity. Despite not scoring or assisting, Anfield fans will be hoping this is the start of a string of fine performances from Wirtz.

How good is Courtois?

In the big scene of the Champions League, Courtois once again showed his strength. He made 8 saves from high and low blocks. This can't help but remind many Liverpool fans (and even some players) of the UEFA Champions League final in the 21-22 season. Courtois made 9 saves to keep the goal clean and was elected the best player of the game. But today, even he couldn't stop McAllister's header from the winner.