The Arne Slot reboot in Liverpool is having its latest dividend. His team remains the only 100 percent record in the Champions League group stage and this wasn’t just another win, it was a blow to the defending champions, a statement of intent.

Real Madrid have done more damage to Liverpool than any other opponent in Europe. They have had their hopes dashed in four of the last seven seasons – most painfully in the 2018 and 2023 finals.

This was a night where Liverpool prevailed and banished some demons in the process, stars everywhere but most notably Conor Bradley at right-back. He played against Kylian Mbappé and not only barely missed a kick, he also found time to get forward in the second half when he fed Alexis Mac Allister for the opening goal. When he was forced off the pitch towards the end because he felt something on the back of his leg, he received a huge round of applause.

Madrid were a pale imitation of their best, and Mbappé wasn’t the only player missing from action. He was best known for seeing a penalty saved by Caoimhín Kelleher that would have secured his team’s salvation when the score was 1-0. Mohamed Salah missed a goal for Liverpool at the other end shortly afterwards, which he won himself after causing problems for Ferland Mendy. Salah shot the kick wide of the goal.

There would be no fancy comeback of the kind that Madrid specializes in. Liverpool substitute Cody Gakpo rose to deny a header after Andy Robertson took a short corner with the outstanding Curtis Jones. With three defeats out of five in the competition, Madrid are in trouble.

Recent history has been a part of it, Liverpool felt it. No revenge – it was a draw in the group stage, that couldn’t happen. But I just felt it, all that heartache, especially when fame had been so close.

The last time Madrid were here, in the first leg of the last 16 two seasons ago, Vinícius Júnior had scored twice to set up a 5-2 victory that paved the way for his club to progress. He did not travel on that occasion – one of a handful of Madrid players injured – which may have been a relief for Liverpool given how regularly he torments them. He was a failure for his team.

Liverpool were missing key players, others were only fit enough for the bench, such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, but they focused solely on who was available and what task was theirs.

No Vinícius meant Kylian Mbappé on the left – a rare treat for him – and Jude Bellingham lined up behind him on the left of Madrid’s midfield third, despite having license to penetrate central areas. Mbappé heard boos at the start and Liverpool almost punished him when he dawdled on his first touch of the ball.

Mbappé wanted to freeze the game to prepare for something, but was unceremoniously robbed by Mohamed Salah, who threw away Darwin Núñez. Thibaut Courtois tried to block Núñez’s shot, but the shot went past Raúl Asencio and went towards the goal. Asencio reached back to clear the line. The ridicule would haunt Mbappé; The same goes for Bellingham, who played with a heavy bandage on his left leg.

It was tricky, there were confrontations, initially between Núñez and Asencio, when a bit of scrum led to strong pushes from both players. Both were fully booked. As Mbappé tried to show his sparkly toes in the 17th minute, Virgil van Dijk stepped forward and left him something. Call it a marker, which Mbappé followed with a gesture to get up. Ryan Gravenberch was booked for doubting the free kick decision.

It was an evening when the Anfield crowd cheered their players to win the duels – and saw them do so. Their greater physicality was the platform for their threat in the first half, and the moment that summed it all up and brought the biggest celebration came when Arda Güler released Mbappé. Bradley came over to pick him off with the perfect slide tackle, impeccable timing and all-out aggression.

Liverpool had every chance before the break when Courtois was called upon to make a big save in the 23rd minute when Ferland Mendy put a foot past Curtis Jones and the ball broke towards Núñez. The goalkeeper is a huge figure. He made himself even bigger at close range to block. Luis Díaz took advantage of two early chances to shoot. Towards the end of the first period, Mac Allister threw the balls first to Núñez and then to Díaz. On the first ball, Núñez’s header went just a few centimeters past the far post.

There were fears that Liverpool would regret not being able to press on with their first-half lead. That was Madrid, right? The masters in the fight against the abyss. And Mbappé couldn’t remain so ineffective? He wouldn’t continue to run into red shirts?

The fears seemed to disappear when Mac met Allister. Liverpool immediately took the lead again after the restart. What was most noticeable was how Bradley pushed up from the right-back into the inside-forward position.

Bradley had a golden chance to make it 1-0 when he darted free into the penalty area, but Courtois lunged to his right and parried. But it was quickly forgotten when Bradley helped Mac Allister break through. Jones was involved at the start of the move and Mac Allister finished by pulling the ball away from goal and then firing a low shot back into the far corner. Jones enjoyed the ball, as did all his teammates, and Mac Allister almost scored again, firing a shot just wide.

Madrid’s penalty was a serious blow to the run of the game, Andy Robertson had overdone it, substitute Lucas Vásquez saw it coming, felt the light touch and went down. So would Madrid come back? Incorrect. Kelleher’s parade was a real eye-catcher.