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Conor Bradley was driven by the full force from Liverpool's faithful, while Trent Alexander-Arnold – the local boy who moved on from Anfield – faced a harsh and negative reaction about his diminished standing.

Conor Bradley had been identified to fill the void left from the moment he announced his decision to move on from the Reds towards the Spanish giants, as luck would have it these continental giants together in the Champions League, all was ready.

And what a contrast it was as the 22-year-old full-back emerged as the standout figure of a Liverpool display evoking memories from their dominant seasons as the Spanish side was defeated.

Alexander-Arnold, who started among the reserves, constantly received a clear message about the fans who once sang his local hero status presently perceive him.

It was a day of unrelenting ill-feeling targeted at Alexander-Arnold, starting with his public artwork damaged with the words "Adios El Rata" ahead of the match to the Anfield anger provoked by what many supporters consider as disloyalty.

The young defender amplified the fury and scorn targeted at his predecessor via a superb showing that neutralized the dangerous Vinicius Jr to a passenger, limited to dramatic actions – poor theatrics at that – confronting Bradley's commanding presence.

Each defensive challenge was cheered to the echo, each distribution met by positive reactions, vocals celebrating him with gusto, not just for his own efforts and as a clear signal to Alexander-Arnold announcing a fresh face at the club, that he was now firmly a figure from the past.

Expectedly, Bradley, earned plaudits by the team's boss.

The defender was magnificent, stated the coach. Facing Vinicius so many times one against one proves challenging for most, but he was outstanding.

If the insults daubed on the defender's tribute hadn't alerted him of what was awaiting him, he received clear confirmation when he trotted on alongside Real Madrid's substitutes prior to the start, jeers ringing around Anfield, the critical response heard again as his name announced.

Just as it seemed he could avoid the total criticism, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso brought him on as a late replacement while attempting to equalize Liverpool's lead, rightfully earned by Mac Allister's headed goal during the 61st minute.

The response to Alexander-Arnold's arrival appeared harsh, as were the mocking jeers after an errant pass which sailed harmlessly out of play.

Alexander-Arnold's unhappy cameo happened during of Liverpool's fans reminding him of those who had stayed loyal amid transfer interest to depart Liverpool, specifically club legend Steven Gerrard, who watched on from the stands.

The evening belonged to Liverpool, Bradley's night – 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 following poor results until their recent victory on Saturday, delivered a display which ranked among their finest during this campaign, an important demonstration of the standard that helped them stroll to the title.

Slot relished Liverpool's return to winning ways, saying: It is nicer if you win games compared to defeats for a coach. If you lose, then it takes extensive focus because you so badly want to change it, yet you attempt to maintain your approach and personality when you are winning.

It was only the shadow from the exceptional goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois that threatened denied the Reds their deserved result, through an outstanding personal display which recalled previous encounters where he stopped them in the previous final loss the European showpiece in Paris.

The Belgian made a string superb interventions, preventing goals from the midfielder and an amazing instinctive block against Van Dijk's aerial effort, before finally being beaten by the Argentine's aerial finish after the midfielder's delivery.

Liverpool's narrow victory margin hardly reflects their domination from first whistle to last, these important points elevating them to sixth in the tournament ranking, a position that should secure knockout stage advancement without the need to resort to a play-off if maintained.

The midfield duo dominated the engine room, as Wirtz delivered elegant moments during his German career. Ekitike posed continuous threats during the game.

Liverpool were, unlike so often earlier shows, completely secure in defense while Mbappe became ineffective, showing poorly with multiple errors. The Brazilian was defeated by the defender early on.

Although representing a tough occasion for Alexander-Arnold, it was not much better for Bellingham, presented with the Anfield platform to deliver a reminder his ability before England head coach Thomas Tuchel names his squad in the coming matches following his previous omission.

Bellingham created a single threat in the first half testing the shot-stopper to use his feet, yet remained largely invisible {as Real failed to establish|