Records Broken in Real Madrid’s 5-2 Rout of Liverpool in UCL

Reigning champions Real Madrid pulled off a dominant start to the UEFA Champions League knockout stage. In the first leg of their Round of 16 fixtures against Liverpool, the Spanish powerhouse outclassed the English side, registering a massive 5-2 victory on Tuesday. Liverpool kicked off the proceeding on a high note with Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah giving them an early 2-0 lead. But they failed to build on the momentum and ended up suffering a humiliating defeat in front of the home crowd.

Following the comeback win, Real Madrid became the first team to win a Champions League game by a three-goal margin after trailing by at least two.

Apart from their goal-scoring spree, the full-house Anfield witnessed Real Madrid and its players breaking a number of records during the proceeding.

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Following Tuesday’s victory, Real Madrid has become the first European club to strike the net four times or more at Liverpool’s home. After conceding two goals, Los Blancos forward Vinicius Jr made it all square with a brace in the first half. The remaining phase saw nothing but a one-sided affair. In the 47th minute, Eder Militao put the visiting side forward. But the history was scripted in the 55th minute when Karim Benzema scored his first of two goals and the fourth for Madrid.

Benzema’s brace at Anfield made him the highest-scoring footballer against Liverpool in European Cup and Champions League history. The French international has already recorded 6 goals against the Reds and holds the record jointly alongside former Chelsea forward Didier Drogba. Vinicius is also on the brink of touching the feat. The Brazilian winger has now 5 goals against the opponent. During the game, Benzema achieved another milestone, equaling the long-standing record of Lionel Messi to score in 18 consecutive UCL campaigns.

Liverpool certainly comes among Vinicius’ favourite opponents in the Champions League. He scored the winning strike in the last year’s Final and got two in Tuesday’s game. The 22-year-old Brazilian is now the youngest footballer to score twice as a visitor in Liverpool’s own backyard during a European fixture. Previously the record was held by Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff. On that day, Vinicius also became the second-youngest player in Madrid’s history to score in three consecutive appearances in the UCL.

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