A makeshift Liverpool side put in a spirited Champions League performance at Real Madrid, but Karim Benzema’s 27th-minute strike was enough to see the holders claim a 1-0 win.
Simon Mignolet 8/10 – Silenced his critics with two fine early saves to deny both James Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo. Could do little about Benzema’s strike, and looked assured throughout.
Javi Manquillo 5.5/10 – Got forward with aplomb but allowed Marcelo too much space to create the opener, with the Brazilian giving him more trouble as the match wore on.
Martin Skrtl 6/10 – Almost gifted Real an early goal when he gave the ball away to Benzema, but recovered from there to deliver a focused performance.
Kolo Toure 7/10 – Allowed Benzema in behind for opener but otherwise dealt with the striker with great composure, winning numerous headers and making several key blocks.
Alberto Moreno 7.5/10 – Showed great drive and dynamism going forward, giving former Reds defender Alvaro Arbeloa all kinds of trouble on the left flank.
Lucas Leiva 6.5/10 – Not a flashy performance, but kept the ball well and defended astutely to restrict James’ influence until being replaced by Gerrard with 20 minutes to go.
Emre Can 6/10 – Showed a lot of promise bringing the ball forward, while also making a number of decisive tackles, but one hopes the best is yet to come.
Joe Allen 7/10 – An early tackle on Ronaldo set the tone for a battling display, as he was always looking to chase down possession. Proved very tidy on the ball too.
Adam Lallana 6/10 – Slow to get into the game but impressed in the second-half and came closest to scoring with a wide shot after the break.
Lazar Markovic 5.5/10 – Showed a few glimpses of the £20 million player but the end product was once again found lacking.
Fabio Borini 5/10 – Found himself isolated up top and simply didn’t have enough quality to trouble the Madrid defence. Work rate couldn’t be questioned though.
SUBSTITUTES
Raheem Sterling (Markovic 69) 6/10 – Played too deep to really make a difference in the final 20 minutes.
Steven Gerrard (Lucas 69) 6/10 – A few nice passes showed what might have been had he been on from the start, but ultimately couldn’t create anything of note.
Philippe Coutinho (Can 75) 6/10 – Not on long enough to influence the game, but his pace and skill suggested he could have made a difference with more minutes.
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