Kylian Mbappe’s dazzling form this season met a firm halt at Anfield on Tuesday night as Liverpool defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in the Champions League, leaving the French forward struggling to make an impact once again on Merseyside.

For the second consecutive year, Mbappe endured a frustrating night at the iconic venue, unable to replicate the explosive performances that have defined his campaign so far.

“We were lacking that threat in the final third,” Madrid coach Xabi Alonso admitted after the match, though he avoided mentioning Mbappe by name.

Arriving in England with 21 goals in 17 games this season, Mbappe was widely expected to be the difference-maker. Instead, he managed just three off-target attempts, while his attacking partner Vinicius Junior also found himself effectively contained by a disciplined Liverpool defense.

Liverpool coach Arne Slot credited his side’s preparation and focus on neutralizing Madrid’s attacking duo. “I told the players before the game that Madrid had scored 26 goals in La Liga and Mbappe and Vinicius contributed to 24 of them. You can’t stop them completely, but you can do some things right,” he said.

Mbappe’s best chance came in the second half after Alexis Mac Allister’s 61st-minute header put Liverpool ahead. The French star shaped to curl a shot into the top corner but sent it wide of the post.

It was a familiar disappointment for Mbappe, who also struggled at Anfield last season — missing a penalty in a 2-0 defeat during the same competition.

Madrid’s failure to score marked the first time this season the Spanish giants were held goalless and only their second defeat across all competitions.

Anfield’s electric atmosphere played its part once again. “I was impressed by the atmosphere throughout the 90 minutes,” Slot said, as the home crowd roared Liverpool to a hard-fought victory.

Alonso, meanwhile, reflected on what went wrong: “We competed well. What was lacking today was perhaps the ability to hurt them in the final third and be a real threat.”

Source: AP