Militao makes another vital challenge at the back for the home side to direct an offload from Salah away from Firmino.
90' +2
BLOCK! Salah collects from Thiago and tries to line up space for a strike, but his effort is blocked by Militao.
90'
There will be four minutes of added time.
89'
Robertson angles a cross into the box from the left flank, but it evades the run of Salah and travels behind for a goal-kick.
88'
BLOCK! Wijnaldum advances to the edge of the box before going for the blast, but Nacho and Casemiro converge to block the strike.
87'
It's all hands on deck for Madrid at the back as the Reds apply pressure through Salah and Mane, but neither player can line up a strike at goal.
85'
Rodrygo enters the game and replaces Vinícius Júnior.
Rodrygo comes on to replace the two-goal hero Vinicius in the final third for the closing stages.
83'
T. Alexander-Arnold gets yellow.
Alexander-Arnold goes into the book for dissent after catching Vinicius with a stray arm. There was not a great deal in the incident, but his reaction earned him the card.
81'
Roberto Firmino enters the game and replaces O. Kabak.
X. Shaqiri enters the game and replaces Diogo Jota.
Shaqiri replaces Jota in the final third for the visitors.
Klopp shows his intentions as withdraws a defender in Kabak and replaces him with Firmino.
Minute
Description
80'
Phillips produces an important header at the back for the visitors to glance Vazquez's cross from the right flank away from the presence of Benzema.
75'
Liverpool are trying to force the issue in the final third, but the white shirts are sitting in two banks of four in front of Courtois and are being difficult to break down.
70'
F. Valverde enters the game and replaces Marco Asensio.
Zidane shows his hand withdrawing Asensio and replacing the Spaniard with Valverde. The Frenchman looks to be content with a two-goal lead.
68'
Madrid are back in control of the contest and can play the game on their terms. Liverpool are not out of the tie though after scoring a vital away goal.
66'
Vinicius and Asensio almost combine in the Liverpool box, but the latter cannot make the final turn under pressure from Kabak and Alisson.
65'
Vinícius Júnior has scored a goal for Real Madrid! Assist by L. Modrić.
Modric collects a short pass from Benzema and is afforded space and time to pick out Vincius to apply the finish.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! VINCIUS NOTCHES HIS SECOND!!! MADRID 3-1!!! Los Blancos restore their two-goal lead as Vinicius powers an effort through Alisson. Benzema works an offload to Modric on the right edge of the box and he sends a simple pass to the Brazilian. Vinicius shoots first time and his strike travels through the legs of Phillips. Alisson gets a hand to the ball, but he can only palm it into the net.
64'
Madrid hit the visitors on the break as Benzema releases the run of Asensio. He tries to pick out the run of Vinicius in support, but Alexander-Arnold produces a crucial block to halt the attack.
63'
CHALLENGE! Mendy makes a vital challenge at the back for the home side to prevent Mane shooting from close range. Robertson and Jota combine down the left flank, allowing the Portuguese to play a low ball across the face of goal. However, Mendy on the slide is there with a perfect tackle to stop Mane from converting the opening.
59'
Militao makes a vital intervention at the back for the home side as he cuts out Robertson's cross towards Mane in the middle. The Brazilian had to make that clearance.
56'
Thiago Alcântara gets yellow.
Thiago brings down Asensio with an outstretched boot and he goes into the book for his challenge.
51'
Mohamed Salah has scored a goal for Liverpool!
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! SALAH GETS LIVERPOOL BACK IN THE GAME!!!! 2-1!!!! The visitors have a vital away goal as Salah scores from close range. Jota works his way through the Madrid defence and he sees his shot trickle into the path of Salah. The forward takes a touch before burying his strike past Courtois from six yards out. VAR has a check for offside, but the Egyptian is level with Vazquez, which allows the goal to stand.
49'
Lucas Vázquez gets yellow.
Vazquez is booked for his challenge on Jota down the left flank.
Liverpool win a free-kick on the left flank following a foul by Vazquez on Jota. However, the resulting cross from Robertson is cleared by Casemiro.
48'
Thiago collects in the middle of the park and angles a cross into the left inside channel that sails over the head of Mane and out for a goal-kick.
46'
We're back underway at the Alfredo Di Stefano.
45' +1
HALF-TIME: REAL MADRID 2-0 LIVERPOOL
45'
There will be one minute of added time.
44'
Liverpool win a free-kick in the final third, but Phillips fouls Casemiro in the final third from the resulting delivery from Alexander-Arnold.
42'
Thiago Alcântara enters the game and replaces N. Keïta.
Keita is withdrawn by Klopp before the break. Thiago replaces the midfielder, who did not appear to be injured.
41'
Madrid are in command of the contest and a third goal this evening could be fatal for Liverpool's Champions League prospects.
39'
S. Mané gets yellow.
Mane is booked for his continued protests to the referee about not being awarded a free-kick in the build-up to the Madrid goal.
37'
Liverpool protest after the fact for a foul on Mane at the other end of the pitch. However, both the referee and VAR deemed that the incident was not worthy of a free-kick.
36'
Marco Asensio has scored a goal for Real Madrid!
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! ASENSIO CAPITALISES ON A MISTAKE FROM ALEXANDER-ARNOLD!!!! 2-0!!!!! The Liverpool defender makes a terrible error at the back directing a header straight to Asensio, who converts from close range. Kroos floats a ball over the top, which seems innocuous enough. However, Alexander-Arnold directs a risky header back towards Alisson. Asensio latches on to the ball and knocks it over the Liverpool keeper before dispatching an effort into the net.
32'
Benzema latches on to a cutback from Modric in the box and goes down under pressure from Kabak. He looks to the referee for a spot-kick, only to see his appeal turned down by the official.
30'
Salah chases a ball over the top and he wins a corner off the legs of Vazquez tracking back for the home side.
29'
Mane takes a neat touch down the left flank to create space for a cross, but he sends his delivery straight into the hands of Courtois.
27'
Vinícius Júnior has scored a goal for Real Madrid! Assist by T. Kroos.
Kroos sends a pinpoint long ball forward for the run of Vinicius. The pass could not be placed better as it strikes the Brazilian on the chest, allowing him to take it in stride before scoring.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! VINCIUS HAMMERS MADRID IN FRONT!!!! 1-0!!! Kroos floats a delightful ball over the top for the run of the Brazilian, who applies a sublime finish on the half-volley. The German puts a precise long ball forward for Vinicius as he bursts in behind Phillips and Kabak. He controls it with his chest and it sits up nicely for him to bury on his right foot past Alisson.
25'
BLOCK! Kroos releases the run of Benzema into the left inside channel. The striker tries to beat the attention of Kabak, but he can only slam his effort into the legs of the Liverpool defender before the ball travels behind for a corner.
22'
Liverpool will be satisfied with their efforts in the first quarter of the game. They have blunted Madrid's attempt to get on top and are beginning to edge their way into the contest.
21'
Keita tries to combine with Jota on the edge of the box, but just cannot force his way through a crowd of white shirts on the edge of the box.
18'
Benzema tries to send Vinicius down the left inside channel with an incisive pass, but Kabak covers well to guide the ball out for a goal-kick.
17'
Militao makes a vital interception in the box to head away another dangerous delivery from Alexander-Arnold. The Brazilian rises to clear amid the lurking presence of Mane.
16'
Alexander-Arnold breaks into a forward position, but his cross towards Jota is cleared by Militao ahead of the Liverpool forward.
10'
Salah wins the ball in the middle of the park and he skips past Nacho, but Mendy is back covering to sweep it away from the forward.
9'
Madrid have started the game with a brisk tempo, aiming to put the Reds and their inexperienced backline under pressure.
7'
Asensio tries to thread the needle to release Vinicius in the final third, but the forward just moves too soon and is caught offside.
5'
Benzema works an offload into the left inside channel for Asensio to chase. The winger earns a corner off the legs of Kabak in close pursuit.
1'
We're underway in this Champions League quarter-final clash.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the first leg Champions League quarter-final clash between Real Madrid and Liverpool at the Alfredo Di Stefano.
Real Madrid enter the contest in optimum form having reeled off four wins on the bounce in all competitions. Los Blancos were excellent in the round of 16 to see off the threat of a dangerous Atalanta side, but now have to raise their game against the Reds, who they defeated in the Champions League final in 2018. It will be a test of Zinedine Zidane and his team to determine whether they are trending in the right direction under the Frenchman's tenure second time around.
Liverpool seemed back to their best in a 3-0 triumph over Arsenal on the road in the Premier League last time out. Jurgen Klopp's men have recorded three wins in a row since losing to Fulham at the beginning of March. Their form on the road has been exemplary, highlighted by their 2-0 win over RB Leipzig in the last round of the competition. Klopp will be eyeing a similar effort tonight.
REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Eder Militao, Nacho Fernandez, Ferland Mendy; Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Luka Modric; Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior.
REAL MADRID SUBS: Marcelo, Andriy Lunin, Federico Valverde, Alvaro Odriozola, Isco, Mariano Diaz, Rodrygo Silva, Diego Altube, Sergio Arribas, Victor Chust.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ozan Kabak, Nathaniel Phillips, Andrew Robertson; Naby Keita, Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum; Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota.
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Thiago, James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Adrian, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones, Kostas Tsimikas, Xherdan Shaqiri, Ben Davies, Rhys Williams, Harvey Davies, Jake Cain.
Real Madrid take a 2-0 lead into the break in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash against Liverpool. A fine strike from Vinicius Junior put Los Blancos ahead after he latched on to Toni Kroos' sublime ball over the top. Marco Asensio then doubled their advantage with a close-range finish following a mistake at the back by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Liverpool have been all over the place in the first half. They've lacked accuracy in their passing and have been incredibly nervy at the back. Madrid have not been forced to do a great deal in the final third to take a comfortable lead. The Reds face a crucial second half in their bid to preserve their Champions League hopes.
Thanks for joining our commentary this evening. Until next time, goodbye.
Real Madrid face another crunch game at the weekend as they face Barcelona in El Clasico on home soil. Liverpool take on Aston Villa at home in their Premier League clash on Saturday.
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