Venue: Estadio Alfredo di Stefano
Vinicius Junior bagged a brace as Real Madrid claimed a 3-1 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
Los Blancos were without regular centre-back pairing of Sergio Ramos, who is out injured and Raphael Varane, who tested posive for Covid-19. Meanwhile, Diogo Jota earned a start ahead of Roberto Firmino for the Reds, alongside recalls for Naby Keita and Georginio Wijnaldum.
The hosts came close to going ahead in the 13th minute after Ferland Mendy beat his marker on the left wing to deliver a cross inside the box but Vinicius Junior guided his header just wide of the far post.
Vinicius got his reward just before the half-hour mark with a low volley inside the box after superbly controlling a long ball from Toni Kroos.
Marco Asensio doubled the lead for Madrid with nine minutes left of the first stanza after a costly back headed pass by Trent Alexander-Arnold sent him clear on goal and he cheekily lofted the ball over goalkeeper Alisson.
Liverpool almost conceded the third goal just before the break from another back pass by Ozan Kobak towards Alisson that was intercepted by Asensio but his low shot across goal was saved by the Brazilian shot-stopper.
Jurgen Klopp's charges had a quick response after the break, as Mohamed Salah pulled a goal back six minutes inside the second stanza and got them an away goal with a close range strike.
However, Vinicius Junior restored a two-goal lead for Los Blancos and got his brace in the 65th minute with a first-time strike inside the box that went through the legs of Nathaniel Phillips and got away from Alisson's grasp at his near post.
Zidane's troops were denying Liverpool momentum, slowing down the tempo of the match in the closing stages before Klopp made a double tactical change in the last ten minutes, as Firmino came on for Kobak and Xherdan Shaqiri replaced Jota.
However, the Spanish giants were able to hold off waves of attacks from the Reds as they will now take a 3-1 lead into the second leg at Anfield.
