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Conor Bradley was driven through the passionate backing from Liverpool's faithful, while Trent Alexander-Arnold – the hometown hero who left Liverpool behind – faced a harsh and hostile reminder of his fall from grace.

Conor Bradley had been identified as the natural successor after his departure was confirmed to leave Liverpool towards the Spanish giants, as luck would have it these continental giants together in the Champions League, the stage was set.

And what a contrast with the Northern Irish Northern Ireland right-back emerged as the standout figure in a Liverpool performance evoking memories to their Premier League title-winning best while Real Madrid were overwhelmed.

The substitute Alexander-Arnold among the reserves, all the while was left a clear message about the supporters who previously chanted his local hero status currently view him.

This was an event filled with persistent hostility aimed in Alexander-Arnold's direction, starting with his public artwork defaced bearing negative messages prior to kickoff plus the crowd's rage caused by behavior which the faithful view as disloyalty.

The young defender amplified the fury and scorn directed towards Trent via a superb showing that neutralized the dangerous Vinicius Jr to a passenger, limited to dramatic actions – poor theatrics at that – confronting the youngster's physical dominance.

Every Bradley tackle drew loud applause, all his balls welcomed with Anfield's approval, his name chanted passionately, both for his display but as a voluble reminder to Alexander-Arnold that a new talent had emerged in town, that he was now firmly a figure from the past.

Naturally, the defender, even won the admiration of head coach Arne Slot.

Bradley performed exceptionally, he said. Facing Vinicius so many times one against one proves challenging for most, but he handled it superbly.

If the insults daubed on Trent's public artwork failed to warn him regarding the coming hostility, he was left in no doubt during his warm-up alongside Real Madrid's substitutes before kick-off, jeers ringing around Anfield, the critical response heard again as his name was read out.

And just when it looked he could avoid the total criticism, the Spanish side's coach brought him on as an 81st-minute substitute as they tried to level the home team's advantage, justly achieved through by Alex Mac Allister's header just after the hour.

Reception for the substitute proved brutal, as were the mocking jeers that greeted a late cross that floated without purpose out of play.

The defender's brief, negative showing was played out to the sound supporters recalling players who remained faithful amid transfer interest to leave Anfield, specifically club legend Steven Gerrard, present in the crowd.

The evening belonged to Liverpool, Conor's moment – the sort of night Anfield revels in as the presence of their former star acted as an even more potent catalyst to increase the intensity.

The Reds, previously struggling with six defeats in seven games until their recent victory last weekend, responded with a performance which ranked among their finest in recent months, a crucial indication of the standard that helped them stroll to the title.

Slot relished Liverpool's return to victory, stating: Winning matches proves more enjoyable than if you lose as a manager. Losses demand all of your time because you so badly want to reverse the trend, while also striving to be the same manager and person that you are during successful periods.

It was only the shadow of brilliant Real keeper Thibaut Courtois that threatened denied the Reds what they merited, with a stunning individual performance which recalled previous encounters where he stopped them during their defeat under Klopp the 2022 Champions League final in Paris.

Courtois produced several outstanding stops, including four from Dominik Szoboszlai and an amazing instinctive block against Van Dijk's aerial effort, before finally being beaten to stop Mac Allister's header from the Hungarian's free-kick.

Liverpool's narrow victory margin does not touch the sides of their domination from first whistle to last, these crucial three points moving them to sixth position in the tournament ranking, a position that should secure knockout stage advancement eliminating the necessity for additional matches if sustained.

Szoboszlai with Mac Allister controlled midfield, with Wirtz contributing some of the subtle touches during his German career. Hugo Ekitike was a constant menace across ninety minutes.

The Reds, contrasting with previous recent performances, extremely solid at the back while Mbappe became ineffective, showing poorly with multiple errors. The Brazilian was defeated by Bradley long before the end.

Although representing a tough occasion for Trent, conditions remained unfavorable for Bellingham, offered the Anfield stage to demonstrate again his ability before England head coach announces his team in the coming matches after being left out recently.

The midfielder produced one opportunity in the first half when he forced Giorgi Mamardashvili to make a leg stop, but offered little else {as Real failed to establish|