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Conor Bradley basked by the full force from Liverpool's faithful, as Alexander-Arnold – the hometown hero who moved on from Anfield – received a stark and negative reaction of his fall from grace.

Bradley was earmarked to fill the void left from the moment he announced his decision to leave Liverpool towards the Spanish giants, as luck would have it these continental giants together in the Champions League, all was ready.

And what a contrast when the young defender from Northern Ireland emerged as the standout figure of a Liverpool display that harked back of their championship form as Real Madrid were swept aside.

Alexander-Arnold, who started on the bench, throughout faced an unmistakable indication of the crowd that used to celebrate his local hero status now regard him.

It was a day filled with persistent hostility directed towards the defender, starting with his public artwork being vandalised with the words "Adios El Rata" before the game and the stadium's fury caused by behavior which the faithful view as disloyalty.

Bradley actually fuelled the fury and scorn targeted at his predecessor through an outstanding performance which minimized the threat of Vinicius Jr to a passenger, only able to offer theatrics – ineffective dramatics – confronting Bradley's commanding presence.

Each defensive challenge drew loud applause, every pass greeted with crowd support, supporters singing with gusto, not just for his own efforts and as a clear signal for Alexander-Arnold announcing a fresh face in town, confirming he was now part of history.

Naturally, the defender, earned plaudits of head coach Arne Slot.

Bradley performed exceptionally, stated the coach. Competing with the Brazilian in multiple direct confrontations is not for everyone, yet he excelled.

Had the graffiti displayed on Trent's public artwork did not make him aware regarding the coming hostility, he received clear confirmation when he trotted on among Real Madrid's substitutes ahead of the game, jeers ringing around Anfield, the negative reception repeated when his name called.

At the moment when like he might escape the total criticism, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso brought him on as a late replacement as they tried to level the Reds' margin, deservedly given to them Mac Allister's headed goal during the 61st minute.

The response to Alexander-Arnold's arrival proved brutal, as were the mocking jeers following a poor delivery which sailed harmlessly out of play.

The defender's brief, negative showing happened during the crowd referencing players who remained faithful despite temptations and opportunities to exit the club, particularly ex-skipper Gerrard, present in the crowd.

The evening belonged to Liverpool, the defender's showcase – exactly the type of occasion the stadium loves with their ex-player's return served as additional motivation to turn up the volume.

The team, earlier inconsistent with six defeats in seven games prior to defeating Villa last weekend, delivered a display that represented their peak in recent months, an important demonstration of the quality that saw them stroll to the title.

Slot relished Liverpool's return to successful results, saying: It is nicer if you win games rather than losing matches. Defeats consume your complete attention since you desperately need to change it, while also striving to stay consistent and personality when you are winning.

It was only the shadow from the exceptional goalkeeper the Belgian who almost to stop Liverpool getting what they merited, with a stunning individual performance which recalled previous encounters where he stopped them in the previous final loss the 2022 Champions League final in the French capital.

The Belgian made a string outstanding stops, featuring denials against Szoboszlai and an amazing instinctive block against Van Dijk's aerial effort, before finally being beaten by the Argentine's aerial finish from the Hungarian's free-kick.

Liverpool's narrow victory margin does not touch the sides of total command from start to finish, these important points moving them to sixth position in the tournament ranking, a position that should secure knockout stage advancement without the need to resort to a play-off if maintained.

Szoboszlai with Mac Allister controlled the center of the park, with Wirtz contributing some of the subtle touches during his German career. Hugo Ekitike was a constant menace throughout the match.

The Reds, contrasting with previous this season, rock solid in defense as Kylian Mbappe was marginalised, producing a poor, mistake-filled performance. Vinicius had been beaten by Bradley long before the end.

While proving a difficult evening for Alexander-Arnold, conditions remained unfavorable for Bellingham, offered the Anfield stage to deliver a reminder of his class ahead of the national team manager selects his roster in the coming matches after being left out recently.

Bellingham created a single threat during the opening period making the goalkeeper save to use his feet, but offered little else {as Real failed to establish|