Liverpool’s Champions League adventure ended at the hands of Real Madrid.

The visitors headed to Anfield with a two-goal cushion from the first leg and ultimately progressed to the semi-finals by consoldating that advantage.

Jurgen Klopp’s side squandered a series of first-half chances to reduce their deficit while Thibaut Courtois denied several Reds players after the break.

Here were the key talking points from Anfield:

Reds end their own Euro fairytale

 

There are some seasons when your name is destined to be on the trophy.

Liverpool know the feeling well, having become European champions on the heels of a poor title defence in 1981 and a 2005 showpiece held in Istanbul.

Unfortunately, those omens counted for little after being unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League’s quarter-final stage on Wednesday.

Without the Anfield crowd to feed off, the Reds were always facing an uphill task to overturn Real Madrid’s comfortable 3-1 advantage from the first leg.

Efforts to repeat the famous 4-0 win over Barcelona two years ago saw James Milner delivering a series of early reducers to Karim Benzema and company.

But Jurgen Klopp’s side did not continually fluff their lines in front of goal as much against Real’s La Liga counterparts as they did on this latest occasion.

Klopp himself warned that a history of comebacks counted for little on the fifth anniversary of a Europa League turnaround against Borussia Dortmund.

Pandemonium reigned inside Anfield that night but the only sound breaking the silence inside the famous stadium now were from joyous Madrid players.

Klopp’s right changes at wrong times

 

Attempts to nullify Real’s midfield which had been the difference in the first leg saw Klopp opt for a more conservative line-up in that department.

Milner’s inclusion at the expense of Thiago Alcantara, who started on the substitutes’ bench, was still a curious decision on his manager’s part.

For all the justified criticisms of the Spain international in his debut season at Anfield, he would have been a more effective option than the utility man.

By the time sense prevailed, the clock was ticking down as Liverpool had only 30 minutes to salvage what remained of their Champions League campaign.

Diogo Jota’s introduction alongside Thiago, too, should have been enacted sooner than the hour mark with his attacking cohorts failing to hit the target.

Similarly, Klopp’s efforts to deliver new catalysts to his frontline with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Xherdan Shaqiri arrived too late, on 82 minutes.

If any blame can be attributed to the German for the subdued manner of his side’s last eight exit, it was for making the right changes at the wrong time.

Return to form for Alexander-Arnold

 

Focus was on Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of this tie, and for good reason.

His recent exploits in the Premier League had been at odds with inconsistent showings in Europe, notably during last week’s first leg in the Spanish capital.

Little wonder, then, that the homegrown full-back fell out of favour with Gareth Southgate when England’s latest squad was announced last month.

Yet this game heralded a true return to form for Alexander-Arnold.

After 55 minutes, he had created more chances in his own right – four – than the small handful produced by his teammates combined in the same period.

Defensively, also, the 22-year-old produced a solid display which kept Los Blancos at bay until the final whistle in the face of a potential Groundhog Day.

When substitute Rodrygo attempted to muscle past him in the closing stages, as Vinicius had done in the first leg, it carried a genuine sense of foreboding.

But Alexander-Arnold stood firm against his opposite number and saw the ball out of play with ease to ensure a respectable clean sheet remained intact.

That the West Derby-born player was able to exorcise his continental demons in this outing against formidable opposition is proof of a return to normality.

Top four must save season

 

Losing to Real Madrid famously galvanised Liverpool to scale new heights.

Klopp refused to go to bed in the wake of the 2018 Champions League final defeat to Zinedine Zidane’s side and instead partied long into the night.

His team rallied to win the competition they had finished runners-up in 12 months prior and came within a point of the Premier League title.

However it was not actually so long ago that Klopp had to cling to more basic comforts like securing a return to Europe’s elite following a three-year hiatus.

Injuries and the absence of fans took its toll on the English champions in the pandemic but clinching a top four finish can salvage this forgettable season.

Next month’s trip to Manchester United aside, Klopp’s charges have six highly winnable games on the horizon against teams far beneath them in the table.

Bill Shankly argued that Liverpool exists to win trophies but even he would take a respectable end to a write-off 12 months given the circumstances.