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Conor Bradley basked through the passionate backing of the home crowd's love, whereas Trent Alexander-Arnold – the hometown hero who moved on from Anfield – was given a brutal and unwelcome reception of his fall from grace.

Bradley was earmarked to fill the void left after the transfer was finalized to exit Anfield towards the Spanish giants, when destiny brought these continental giants together in the Champions League, all was ready.

And what a contrast when the young full-back was the shining symbol in a Liverpool performance which reminded everyone of their championship form as the Spanish side was defeated.

Alexander-Arnold, who started among the reserves, constantly received an unmistakable indication of the fans who once sang his former iconic role presently perceive him.

This was an event of unrelenting ill-feeling directed towards the defender, from his mural near Anfield damaged displaying critical phrases before the game to the Anfield anger provoked by what many supporters consider as his betrayal.

The young defender amplified the fury and scorn targeted at his predecessor with a magnificent display which minimized the threat of opposing winger to a spectator, limited to dramatic actions – poor theatrics at that – in the face of the defender's superior strength.

Each defensive challenge was cheered to the echo, each distribution met with crowd support, vocals celebrating him with gusto, not just for his own efforts but as a voluble reminder towards Trent that there was a new kid in town, that he was now firmly a figure from the past.

Expectedly, Bradley, even won the admiration by the team's boss.

The defender was magnificent, stated the coach. To be up against Vinicius in multiple direct confrontations is not for everyone, but he handled it superbly.

If the insults daubed on Alexander-Arnold's mural hadn't alerted him regarding the coming hostility, he was left in no doubt as he came out among Real Madrid's substitutes prior to the start, jeers ringing around Anfield, the critical response repeated when his name was read out.

And just when it looked he would miss the complete hostility, the visiting team's manager brought him on as an 81st-minute substitute as they tried to level the home team's advantage, deservedly given to them by Alex Mac Allister's header just after the hour.

Reception for the substitute proved brutal, plus sarcastic shouts that greeted a late cross that drifted aimlessly into touch.

Alexander-Arnold's unhappy cameo occurred alongside the crowd referencing individuals showing commitment through potential moves to exit the club, namely former captain Steven Gerrard, observing from the seats.

This was Liverpool's night, Bradley's night – the sort of night Anfield revels in amid the comeback of their past hero acted as an even more potent catalyst to turn up the volume.

And Liverpool, who had looked lost with six defeats in seven games before Aston Villa were beaten last weekend, produced a showing that represented their peak in recent months, an important demonstration of the quality that saw them secure the trophy.

The coach enjoyed the comeback to winning ways, stating: Victories bring greater satisfaction rather than losing matches. If you lose, then it takes all of your time because you so badly want to change it, but you also try to be the same manager and personality during successful periods.

It was only the shadow of the talented shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois that threatened denied the Reds the justified outcome, via a remarkable showing which recalled previous encounters when he frustrated them in the previous final loss the continental decider in Paris.

Courtois produced several superb interventions, featuring denials against Szoboszlai and an amazing instinctive block from Virgil van Dijk's header, until eventually he couldn't prevent to stop Mac Allister's header from the Hungarian's free-kick.

The close scoreline barely represents their domination from first whistle to last, these important points pushing them into sixth place in the tournament ranking, a position that should secure knockout stage advancement eliminating the necessity for additional matches if sustained.

Szoboszlai and Mac Allister ruled the engine room, while Florian Wirtz provided some of the subtle touches that made his name at Bayer Leverkusen. The forward remained dangerous during the game.

The Reds, contrasting with previous earlier shows, completely secure defensively as Kylian Mbappe was marginalised, delivering a dreadful, error-strewn display. Vinicius was outperformed by the defender early on.

Although representing a tough occasion for Alexander-Arnold, it was not much better for Jude Bellingham, presented with the Anfield platform to showcase once more his ability before England head coach announces his team for the upcoming internationals following his previous omission.

Bellingham created a single threat in the first half making the goalkeeper save to make a leg stop, but was otherwise anonymous {as Real failed to establish|