Liverpool were eliminated from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
The Reds needed an epic fightback at the Bernabeu to overturn the 5-2 defeat at Anfield last time out.
However, Liverpool failed to provide much of a threat, and had Alisson Becker to thank for keeping them in the game.
In the end, Karim Benzema put the aggregate scoreline well beyond the Reds’ reach with a 78th-minute strike.
Alisson aside, there were a few more Liverpool players who emerged from the game with some credit.
Several others, however, really struggled in the Spanish capital.
One of those was Trent Alexander-Arnold, who had a torrid time against Vinicius Jr.
The Real forward dribbled past the Liverpool right-back six times during the match.
In one instance, Vinicius Jr and Alexander-Arnold were tussling for the ball.
The Bernabeu ace then slowed down to allow his opponent to lunge in for a tackle.
As Alexander-Arnold stuck his leg out to win the ball, Vinicius Jr knocked it forward to race clear.
Alexander-Arnold had a little more joy going forward, where he delivered a decent chance for Cody Gakpo.
However, for the most part, it wasn’t a great night for the £160,000-a-week (Salarysport) ace.
Neil Jones of Goal.com awarded Alexander-Arnold 5 out of 10 for his efforts.
‘No chance defensively against Vinicius, who was just too quick and sharp,’ he wrote.
‘Much happier when attacking, with some incisive passes, but won’t want to face Real again any time soon.
‘Dreadful late corner.’
Very tough opponent
Truth be told, few defenders have what it takes to deal with Vinicius Jr.
And it’s not like Alexander-Arnold was the only Liverpool player who had a bad game.
Nonetheless, the Reds must now pick up the pieces and focus on finishing in the Premier League top four.
With Liverpool’s weekend game postponed due to the FA Cup, they face a long wait to return to action.
Indeed, that was the Reds’ last match of the month, with the international break set to get under way.
Liverpool’s next three games after that? Manchester City away, Chelsea away, and Arsenal at home.
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