“He was great at finding spaces with his movement” - Rafa Benitez names 25-year-old Liverpool star as his Man of the Match vs Real Madrid

Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez heaped praise on midfielder Alexis Mac Allister for his performance in the 2-0 UEFA Champions League win over Real Madrid. The Spanish tactician believes the midfielder was the driving force behind the win and absolutely dominated the second half.

Speaking to UEFA's official website, Benitez pointed that Mac Allister was great at finding the space on the pitch and his passes were also spot on. Analyzing the Argentine's performance, he said:

“The main difference were their [L'pool’s] runs in behind, the penetrating passes, and the positions they took behind the Real Madrid midfielders. He [Mac Allister] was great at finding spaces with his movement and also with his penetrating passes, particularly in the second half.”

Alexis Mac Allister scored the opening goal of the match against Real Madrid for Liverpool. Cody Gakpo added the second later in the second half to seal a 2-0 win after Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah missed a penalty each.

Liverpool star delighted with win over Real Madrid

Alexis Mac Allister spoke to Liverpool's official website and admitted to being delighted with the win. He added that his performance was good but the team effort was more important and he was especially happy to see goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher do well.

He said:

“Yes, of course when you play against teams like Real Madrid it’s always nice to score but the most important thing is that we won it and I think in a really good way. We dominated the game, we deserved it, so we needed a couple of times this guy [Kelleher] but thank God that he was there and he really deserved it.”

When quizzed if Liverpool were the favorites for the UEFA Champions League title this season, the Argentine added:

“I don’t know. I mean, it is nice but at the same time it means nothing because it’s just the first phase. So, we are happy with our performances, that’s the most important thing, and we will keep going.”

Arne Slot's side are on top of the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League table. They face Manchester City in the league on Sunday, December 1, and can extend their lead over the defending champions to 11 points with a win.