Liverpool FC’s journey in the 2020-21 Champions League came to an end with the Reds being held to a goalless stalemate by Real Madrid in the second and final leg of the quarter-final clash at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Jurgen Klopp’s men failed to overturn their two-goal deficit courtesy of the defeat in the first leg held last week as Zinedine Zidane’s side booked their place in the semi-finals of the competition.
MATCH PROCEEDINGS
The hosts could have taken a pivotal lead in the opening minutes of the game with Mohammad Salah going one-on-one with Madrid No.1 Thibaut Courtois as the Belgian goalie denied the Liverpool FC forward’s effort on goal.
James Milner also got in on the action as the stand-in skipper attempted a brilliant curling strike on Courtois’ goal which was kept out by the shot-stopper in brilliant fashion.
It was then Real Madrid who took control of the game and came real close to finding the back of the net through star striker Karim Benzema who had robbed Nat Phillips of the ball and made a superb run forward in on the Reds backline before attempting a strike which struck the base of the goal.
Just before the half-time break Gini Wijnaldum was offered a golden chance to open the scoring from 12 yards out which the Dutchman fired over the bar as both sides went into the tunnel with the scoreline intact.
Courtois was called into action a couple of times early on in the closing 45 minutes with Klopp’s men jostling hard in their search for a goal that would reduce the deficit.
On the other end of the pitch, Alisson Becker had to make a double save to keep his side in the game as the Brazil goalkeeper thwarted Vinicius Junior and Benzema in quick succession.
A draw on the night and we exit the @ChampionsLeague. #LIVRMA | #UCL
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 14, 2021
Chances came at a disrupted flow for the Merseysiders who were let down on the attacking front with a poor show of finishing and the final whistle marked their exit from the Champions League with Zidane and Co. booking a last-four clash against Chelsea.
