Liverpool could do little to stop a sublime Real Madrid side in their Champions League Group B clash, as first-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema secured a comfortable 3-0 win for the holders at Anfield.
Simon Mignolet 5/10 – Made a couple of decent saves in the second-half but was embarrassed in the air by Benzema for Real’s second and looked completely lost when the Frenchman added the third.
Glen Johnson 4.5/10 – Had a thankless task to take on Cristiano Ronaldo, but there was no hiding the fact that it was a miserable evening.
Martin Skrtl 5/10 – Showed strength when around the ball but just couldn’t cope with Real’s lethal counter attacks.
Dejan Lovren 5/10 – Much like his centre-back partner, the £20 million man struggled to contain a fast-paced opposition.
Alberto Moreno 5.5/10 – Looked good going forward, as usual, but made a mistake on the first goal and continued to struggle on defence throughout the match.
Steven Gerrard 6.5/10 – Made some impressive passes but looked helpless when Real’s high-powered attack pushed forward into the Liverpool half.
Joe Allen 4/10 – Was full of running but his impact on the game was almost non-existent.
Jordan Henderson 6/10 – Showed no lack of effort but couldn’t quite assert himself in possession.
Raheem Sterling 6/10 – Looked bright at times, with determination in abundance, but just couldn’t make the breakthrough on this occasion.
Philippe Coutinho 7/10 – Liverpool’s best performer on the night, showing real pace and purpose, before he was taken off with 23 minutes to go.
Mario Balotelli 3.5/10 – It’s clear Brendan Rodgers made a mistake starting him, as he showed nothing to suggest that a turnaround is coming during his 45 minutes on the pitch.
SUBSTITUTES
Adam Lallana (Balotelli 45) 6/10 – A huge upgrade to Balotelli, as his inclusion added some shape and enthusiasm to the front three.
Emre Can (Henderson 67) 5/10 – Given a run out with Liverpool resigned to defeat, but didn’t show much.
Lazar Markovic (Coutinho 67) 5/10 – See Can.
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