Liverpool 0-0 Real Madrid: Player Ratings as Merengues reach first semis in 3 years | UEFA Champions League 2020-21

Thibaut Courtois in action
Thibaut Courtois in action

Real Madrid played out a goalless draw against Liverpool at Anfield to complete a 3-1 aggregate win and reach their first UEFA Champions League semi-final in three years. For a place in the final, Los Blancos will now face Chelsea, who secured their last-four berth after beating Porto.

Liverpool made their intentions clear from the get-go. Sadio Mane set up Mohamed Salah brilliantly, but the Egyptian failed to beat Thibaut Courtois. The Reds created a flurry of chances that forced Real Madrid to sit back and absorb the pressure.

James Milner tested Thibaut Courtois with a brilliant strike to keep the momentum flowing. But Real Madrid started taking control of proceedings, with Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr. creating problems at the other end. Meanwhile, continuing their profligacy, Salah and Wijnaldum squandered two more gilt-edged chances to open the scoring for Liverpool.

Eventually, neither team scored on the night, but it was Real Madrid who advanced to the last four after winning the first leg 3-1 at home.

On that note, let's have a look at the player ratings of both teams in the game.


Liverpool Player Ratings against Real Madrid

Alisson Becker - 7/10

Alisson Becker did not have much to do, as Liverpool mounted the pressure at the opposite end. But he made some great saves to deny Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema in the second half to give Liverpool a fighting chance to rescue the tie.

Andrew Robertson - 8/10

Andrew Robertson's instructions were clear. From the starting whistle, he tried to unsettle Fede Valverde. He combined well with Sadio Mane, going high up the pitch. The Scot did not have much to do defensively but made his presence felt up front.

Ozan Kabak - 7.5/10

Ozan Kabak was solid for Jurgen Klopp's side. The Turkish international put his body on the line on numerous occasions to stop Real Madrid's attacks. He combined well with Nathaniel Phillips to prevent Marco Asensio and Benzema from getting into goal-scoring positions.

Nathaniel Phillips - 7.5/10

Nathaniel Phillips made a huge defensive error early on in the game when his slip-up allowed Benzema to run away with the ball. But he settled in as the game progressed. The 24-year-old made seven recoveries, won seven duels, made five clearances and intercepted the ball on four occasions.

Trent Alexander-Arnold - 8.5/10

It was a much-improved performance by Trent Alexander-Arnold after his underwhelming first-leg outing. He created the most chances (6) throughout the game. Alexander-Arnold bombarded down the flank at every opportunity and combined well with Mohamed Salah. He was sound defensively as well.

Georginio Wijnaldum - 6.5/10

Georginio Wijnaldum had a decent game but would be kicking himself to sky a great opportunity to open the scoring for Liverpool. He looked the most active of the three Liverpool midfielders going forward.

Fabinho - 7.5/10

Fabinho was brilliant for Liverpool in the centre of the park. The Brazilian won seven duels made ten recoveries and won two tackles on the night. Moreover, he completed the most passes (70) in the game.

James Milner- 6/10

James Milner made a dazzling start to the game, testing Thibaut Courtois with a brilliant long-range strike early on. But he soon fizzled out as Luka Modric took charge of proceedings.

Sadio Mane - 5.5/10

Sadio Mane's poor run of form continued. The Senegalese international failed to live up to the occasion yet again. Mane failed to beat his man on various occasions and looked sluggish at times.

Roberto Firmino - 6.5/10

Roberto Firmino was anonymous in the first half. He made his presence felt when he tested Courtois early on in the second half. Unfortunately, he could not beat Real Madrid's defensive duo of Eder Militao and Nacho.

Mohamed Salah - 6.5/10

Mohamed Salah missed a golden chance in the opening minutes of the game, as he shot one straight down the line after receiving the ball from Mane. Apart from his finishing, he had a decent game, though.

Salah was brilliantly contained by Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy. The Egyptian wasted a few chances that could have turned the tie in Liverpool's favour.


Ratings of Liverpool substitutes against Real Madrid:

Thiago Alcantara - 6.5/10

Thiago Alcantara's introduction to Liverpool's midfield saw them rejig their formation a bit. But Zinedine Zidane's double substitution of Alvaro Odriozola and Rodrygo disrupted Liverpool's rhythm.

Diogo Jota - 6/10

Diogo Jota could not leave his mark on the tie, as he failed to get on the score-sheet against Real Madrid across both legs.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - N/A

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came on too late against Real Madrid to merit a rating.

Xhedran Shaqiri - N/A

Xhedran Shaqiri did not have much impact on the game against Real Madrid.

Real Madrid Player Ratings against Liverpool

Thibaut Courtois - 8.5/10

Real Madrid custodian Thibaut Courtois had an outstanding game against Liverpool. He was Los Blancos' star of the night. The Belgian international made some crucial saves off Salah, Milner and Firmino to deny Liverpool any chance of a comeback.

Fede Valverde - 8/10

Zinedine Zidane took a gamble and started Fede Valverde at right-back, as Lucas Vazquez and Dani Carvajal were sidelined due to injuries. But the Uruguayan international responded by putting in a massive shift at the back and keeping Sadio Mane in check.

Eder Militao - 8/10

Eder Militao was rock solid for Real Madrid. The Brazilian combined well with Nacho to foil every incoming threat down the centre. Militao won four duels, made seven clearances and recovered possession for the visitors twice. He made some vital goal-saving blocks to deny Liverpool.

Nacho Fernandez - 8.5/10

Nacho Fernandez led the Real Madrid backline brilliantly. His aggressiveness at the back yielded no response from Liverpool. Nacho made 11 clearances, won seven duels, made three interceptions and recovered possession four times.

Ferland Mendy - 8/10

Ferland Mendy had a great outing against Liverpool. The Frenchman did well to keep Salah in check for most of the game. Mendy was astute both offensively as well as defensively. At the back, he gave Salah and Alexander-Arnold no space to exploit. At the other end, Mendy combined well with Vinicius going forward.

Luka Modric - 7.5/10

Luka Modric put in another superb performance for Real Madrid. The Croatian started the game a tad slow, but once he got into his groove, he took control of proceedings in midfield. Modric pulled the strings for Real Madrid in the centre of the park and combined well with Toni Kroos to keep hold of the ball.

Casemiro - 8/10

Casemiro put in a massive shift in the centre of the park. The Brazilian won ten duels, made 13 recoveries, won three tackles and made five clearances on the night. The Brazilian shielded Real Madrid's backline with utmost determination.

Toni Kroos - 7.5/10

Toni Kroos did not have the best of nights against Liverpool. The German international looked drained after a taxing run of fixtures. But he did well to beat Liverpool's high press and made it easier for Real Madrid to keep hold of possession. Kroos did well to switch play on numerous occasions.

Marco Asensio - 7.5/10

Marco Asensio's major contributions were at the back, where he helped Valverde in dealing with Mane. The Spaniard combined well with Modric and Valverde high up the pitch too.

Karim Benzema - 7/10

Karim Benzema had a decent outing. The Frenchman engaged well with the Liverpool defence and dropped deep on multiple occasions to help Real Madrid play out from the back. He should have scored one in the dying minutes of the game to put the tie to bed.

Vinicius Jr - 7/10

Vinicius Jr could not replicate his performance from the first leg. The Brazilian did trouble Liverpool with his electrifying pace and tricky runs but lacked the end product.


Ratings of Real Madrid substitutes against Liverpool:

Rodrygo - 6/10

Rodrygo did not have an impactful outing, as most of the action unfolded on the other end of the pitch.

Alvaro Odriozola - 6.5/10

Alvaro Odriozola's introduction allowed Valverde to move into the middle, which re-energised Real Madrid's gameplay. The Spaniard did his job well and showed that he could be trusted in the games to come.

Isco - 7/10

Isco did well in the limited number of minutes he had. He tried keeping hold of the ball and created some great passages of play to deal with Liverpool's high press.

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