Real Madrid 0-1 Liverpool – Review & Tactical Analysis

VS

Liverpool fought hard to take a one-goal lead away from the Santiago Bernabeau, against a rather ordinary Real Madrid side, leaving ‘the Reds’ in a solid position for the seond leg. As many expected, the fixture offered a tense game of football in which Yossi Benayoun headed home after 82 minutes, to clinch a crucial winner for the away side. Liverpool go into the home tie knowing a similar performance will guarentee progression into the quater finals; Madrid however, will need to rejuvinate their attacking approach, which appeared downright average, against arguably, the hardest team in Europe to defeat under the cautious Rafael Benitez.

The two sides started the game as follows:

Real Madrid

Casillas

Ramos Pepe Cannavaro Heinze

Gago Diarra

Robben Marcelo

Higuain Raul

Liverpool:

Reina

Arbeloa Skrtel Carragher Aurelio

Mascherano Alonso

Benayoun Kuyt Riera

Torres

Kick Off

Madrid began on the front foot and immediately issued a high defensive line, while passing the ball with confidence, while Liverpool seemed to be content with allowing Madrid time on the ball, though ensuring no holes emerged for Madrid to play the final ball through. The prolific Raul turned neatly on the ball from just inside the area early on, only for Pepe Reina to gather the ball up with ease.

The first half progressed into a stalemate – Madrid enjoying much possession, though simply unable to break Liverpool down. Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso protected the Liverpool defene in instrumental fashion, the former producing a noteably brilliant sliding challenge to halt Higuain in an advance towards goal. The away side were looking to hit Madrid on the break, with the fullbacks roaming forward whenever the oppurtunity presented itself, and Fernando Torres came closest to opening the scoring after capitlising on a defensive blunder by Pepe, only to see his clipped shot diverted expertly over the ball by Iker Casillas.

Mascherano: Instrumental

Arjen Robben – Real Madrid’s most adventerous outlet in midfield – saw two attempts hit the side netting, as Liverpool forced the Dutchman onto his right foot at al possible times, with Mascherano and Riera helping to block any marauding runs infield from the former Chelsea winger. Xabi Alonso’s effort at goal, a trademark strike from his own half came closer to any of Madrid’s attempts at goal on the stroke of half time, which Casillas bundled over the cross bar.

The second half continued in the same vein, with Benayoun and Robben coming close, though with the teams seemingly dead-locked, and the tie heading to a nil-nil draw. As the half progressed, Liverpool’s influence on the game began to grow, as Madrid seemed to be running out of ideas, as the Reds began to create more openings, with Benayoun and Xabi Alonso proving crucial in offensive play for Liverpool.

The winning goal came when Heinze ‘wrestled’ Dirk Kuyt to the ground just beyond the right hand side of Madrid’s penalty area. Fabio Aurelio’s pin-point cross, coupled with terrible defensive marking from Madrid, allowed Yossi Benayoun to head home the winner and Liverpool closed the game out with ease.

Final Whistle

————

Tactical Analysis

How did Liverpool’s defensive setup halt the fluidity and produtiveness of Real Madrid’s attacking play?

Fundamentaly, Liverpool employed two lines of four, with Riera and Benyoun squeezing the play, ensuring Alonso and Mascherano were never streched, hence also ensuring that very few holes appeared in the Liverpool setup to allow passes directly into feet from the centre, for Higuain and Raul to pick up. The aerial prowess of Skrtel and Carragher meant that balls over the top were swept up with general ease, allowing Alonso to pick up the pieces and progress the play. Guti came on in the second half for Madrid, in place of Marcelo and employed a more central role in an attempt to increase their creativeness, though this only seemed to lessen Madrid’s options, due to decreased width, allowing Liverpool to hold their ground.

How did Liverpool prevent the pace and tricks of Robben from penetrating their defensive line?

————Arbeloa

Mascherano—-Robben

——Riera

Here is the typical scenario on the right hand side of the pitch. Robben was consistantly forced onto his weaker right foot, which prooved to be very unproductive. When Robben did dart inside, Mascherano and Riera were on hand to block his runs, and claim back possession for Liverpool. A similar scenario occured for Marcelo, on the left wing.

Robben: Dealt with competently.

How did Liverpool progress from such a defensive outlook, to an attacking shape?

——————–Alonso———-

-Arbeloa——-Benayoun——Riera——-Aurelio

——Diarra———Kuyt—-Gago—–

Heinze—Cannavaro–Babel–Pepe—Ramos

Madrid’s wingers seldom tracked back, allowing Liverpool’s fullbacks to roam forward to great affect, as Madrid’s central two found themselves overstreched, allowing Liverpool to create openenings within the Madrid midfield, and the uncomfortable demeanor of Pepe and Cannavaro at the back for Madrid did nothing to help their cause.

How did Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso nullify the attempts of Gago, Guti and Diarra to controll the game?

Defensive state;

———–Alonso———-

—-Guti—Mascherano——

—–Gago———-Diarra—

When Liverpool were defending with numbers in their own half, the relentless tyrant that was Mascherano was ‘freed’ to close down the central two of Madrid, and to break down their play. This also caused them to attempt to move the ball out wide, where Robben and Marcelo were dealt with competently by the Liverpool defence. Alonso ensured nothing was allowed to pass through the midfield and into the feet of Higuain and Raul. Guti was closely followed whever he drifted, with Benayoun and Alonso stifling his attempts to create from behind the front two.

Offensive state:

—-Guti—Mascherano——-

———-Alonso———

When Liverpool attacked, Gago and Diarra withdrew deep, thus any counter attacks usually featured Guti as the prominent figure. Mascherano was left behind Alonso to halt the playmaker, which worked wonders as Alonso was given freedom and space to create.

The Verdict

The supreme tactical pedigree of Rafael Benitez once again prevailed over one of Europe’s elite. Liverpool defended with immense concentration, solid teamwork, and in attack, looked the more likely of either side to score. Although neither side could have complained if it had been the case, Liverpool deserved nothing less than a draw. Credit to their manager, who’s rigid, solid and defiant system prooved too much for a rather toothless Real Madrid, who were severely lacking in ideas and creativity – hardly even a shadow on the famous ‘Galactico’ side which we all witnessed demolish Manchester United’s defence in the Champions League, a few years back.

Key players:

Xabi Alonso – The creative Spaniard was brilliant in the centre of the park for Liverpool; constantly looking to advance play and suceeding. 7.5/10

Javier Mascherano – Needed to be at his best – something which has been non-existant in Liverpool’s recent games. However, he was truly fantastic and made some crucial interventions and tackles, while giving the Liverpool back four strong protection. 8/10

Yossi Benayoun – Liverpool’s most threatening outlet in the final third; his movement and dribbling caused problems for a fragile Madrid defence. 7/10

Lassana Diarra – Implemented a role similar to that of Mascherano in the Liverpool midfield, and gave his side much needed stability in front of the back four. 7.5/10

Benitez: Tactical prowess proven once again.