Liverpool's victory over Real Madrid could be a turning point for the season.

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY — Two victories and a clean sheet at Anfield within a span of three days deserve to be a turning point for Liverpool. The collection of three points from defeating Real Madrid 1-0 on Wednesday (5/11/2025 WIB) indicates that "The Reds" have emerged from the crisis period at the beginning of this season.

Liverpool was only able to score a single goal against Real Madrid. The header from Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was the decisive factor in the fourth match of the preliminary round of the 2025-2026 Champions League. Mac Allister finished off a free-kick assist from Dominik Szoboszlai in the 61st minute.

However, the main reason for Liverpool's narrow victory wasn't their lack of chances created. Rather, it was Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois's brilliant performance, which looked like he was using a cheat in a video game.

The Belgian goalkeeper made eight saves. Courtois's brilliant streak prevented Liverpool from conceding 1.05 expected goals (xG). Therefore, the Reds should have scored at least one more goal against Real Madrid.

Liverpool fans' premonition that their team wouldn't easily break Courtois's net began in the 27th minute. During a fast-break, Florian Wirtz provided a key pass to Szoboszlai, who was left unmarked. However, the Hungarian national team captain's shot was blocked by Courtois. The goal had 0.42 xG, giving him a 42 percent chance of being scored.

In addition to Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo even had the highest goal probability with 0.73 xG. This figure indicates that Gakpo's chance in the 87th minute should have had a 73 percent potential to score. However, Courtois was once again quick to read Gakpo's touch after receiving a pass from Mohamed Salah.

"He's been a fantastic goalkeeper all year. He made a number of saves. But today we were much better than them (Real) and deserved to win," Mac Allister, who was named man of the match, told Amazon Prime, as reported by the BBC.

In addition to Courtois's performance being in the spotlight, Arne Slot's tactical approach has proven effective in dampening the aggressiveness of Real's players, led by Kylian Mbappe. Slot seems to have spread a web that allows the "Los Blancos" players to dominate ball possession.

The comfort of playing with the ball—evidenced by Real's 61 percent ball possession—was akin to a mirage. Liverpool allowed this scenario to unfold. Conversely, Liverpool repeatedly stung Real with rapid positive transition processes from both flanks, supported by Szoboszlai's movement, who once again played the role of number 10.

Real could only produce eight shots with a goal expectancy value of just 0.45 xG. The most dangerous opportunity for Los Blancos was created by Jude Bellingham at the end of the first half. Bellingham's shot from just outside the small penalty area was deflected away by Giorgi Mamardashvili's foot.

"I think we played a great match against a very extraordinary team. It is an important victory, but we must keep moving forward. This positive result is valuable for further boosting our confidence," said Mac Allister.

Another positive aspect of the game presented by Liverpool is the collective willingness to sacrifice. Salah and Florian Wirtz seem to have two lungs to help chase down Real players entering their defensive zone.

Salah, for instance, supported Conor Bradley in neutralizing Vinicius Junior. In the additional time of the second half, Salah made a crucial interception that halted Vinicius's dribbling attempt. Salah's action was met with appreciative applause from Liverpool supporters.

In total, Salah won nine duels, made three recoveries of ball possession, and achieved one interception. He also demonstrated that he remains a key player in the offensive strategy of the Reds, marked by five successful dribbles and two key passes.

Wirtz also played one of his best games after donning the Liverpool jersey. Although he did not contribute any goals, he produced five key passes, achieved 100 percent successful dribbles, won four duels, and regained possession of the ball six times.

The actions of the attacking players alleviate the role of the defenders. This was acknowledged by Liverpool's defender and captain, Virgil van Dijk. He stated that the dangerous attacks of his team begin with a collective effort to maintain defense.

"We have the quality to hurt any team through counterattacks. The situation starts from our ability to defend. We witness that hard work," said Van Dijk as reported by the UEFA website.

Van Dijk reminded that the two consecutive victories over Aston Villa and Real mean nothing. He stated that those positive results are merely the beginning of a long journey this season, which will once again present challenges, one of which is the match against Manchester City this weekend.

"It is easy to say (to return to our best performance) because we have won two consecutive matches. Our main goal is to keep moving forward as we have another difficult match awaiting us on Sunday. We know how football works; everything can change in one night," said Van Dijk, who hails from the Netherlands.

Wayne Rooney, the former star of Manchester United and the England national team, did not hesitate to state that the performance against Real is an important asset for Liverpool to bounce back. According to Rooney, Liverpool has shown performance and mentality similar to last season.

"When a championship team experiences two or three consecutive losses, criticism inevitably comes pouring in. We witness the solidarity among players to overcome difficult situations. I am confident that this result serves as a blueprint for them to move forward," said Rooney.

For Real Coach Xabi Alonso, returning to Anfield did not bring a pleasant day, but rather a grim one. In addition to his team returning without any points, Alonso was also shown a yellow card in the 90+5 minute for excessive protests towards the Romanian referee, Istvan Kovacs.

Not only Alonso, former Anfield idol Trent Alexander-Arnold also had an unimpressive homecoming. Coming on for Arda Guler in the 81st minute, Alexander-Arnold failed to make a significant impact for Los Blancos.

"It was a balanced match. We conceded too many corners and committed unnecessary fouls. We also lost the initiative, which prevented us from breaking through their defensive line," Alonso said, as reported by Marca. (AFP)