WE WANTED PAYBACK’ — LIVERPOOL RUIN TRENT’S RETURN IN REAL MADRID ROUT

Liverpool beat Real Madrid 1-0 at Anfield in a thrilling Champions League match. Alexis Mac Allister's header secured the win after a first half dominated by the Reds and a controversial VAR handball decision.

We Wanted Payback’ — Liverpool Ruin Trent’s Return in Real Madrid Rout
Alexis Mac Allister heading home for Liverpool - CameraSport via Getty Images

In their thrilling Champions League match at Anfield against Real Madrid, Liverpool was anything but intimidated. They were forced to wait for a breakthrough against the tenacious defence of Xabi Alonso, but Alexis Mac Allister's header put them ahead, leaving the visitors speechless and perhaps even flattered by the close loss.

The Reds showed they still had goals in the squad with a victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in their most recent European match. However, Madrid, which had won three straight before their trip to Anfield, presented a different kind of test.

Last season, when the teams faced off in the league phase, Arne Slot's team produced a decisive win. Maybe this was what motivated them in the first half, when they kept shooting at their opponent's goal but were unable to create a breakthrough.

Within the first half hour, Liverpool came closest to scoring the first goal, but Thibaut Courtois held his ground and stopped Dominik Szoboszlai. The hosts believed they might have earned a penalty for handball a few moments later, but their hopes were dashed by a VAR examination.

Despite Courtois' best attempts, Liverpool maintained their pace after the interval and eventually won, tying their rivals on nine points from four Champions League games. These are the talking points for Mirror Football.

The drama in VAR


VAR was applied in a more intricate manner than is typically the case during the penalty debate in the first half. Referee Istvan Kovacs first gave a free-kick when the ball hit Aurelien Tchouameni.

It soon became apparent that the offence, if there was one at all, took place inside the premises. But it also turned out that when the Hungarian fired at goal, the limb closer to Szoboszlai made contact rather than Tchouameni's extended arm.

During Prime Sport's broadcast, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg had a different perspective. "I support the referee's original handball decision. "The handball is inside the penalty area once it is a handball," he contended. Fortunately for Liverpool, the outcome was unaffected.

The Reds are eager to shoot from far


In the first twenty minutes, Liverpool players attempted two long-range shots. Hugo Ekitike and Alexis Mac Allister both had their attempts thwarted, Mac Allister's by teammate Ryan Gravenberch, although there appeared to be a strategy to fire early and with force.

The next to try his luck was Szoboszlai, who hammered in a 25-yard attempt that hit Aurelien Tchouameni's arm but did not result in a penalty. Before halftime, there was still time for another attempt from outside the box. Szoboszlai stung Courtois's palms with a low effort once more, and two minutes after the interval, the midfielder did it again to force a corner.

You guessed it: Mac Allister made another long-range attempt to force a save from Courtois in first-half stoppage time. There was no indication that Courtois leaked.

An improbable path to the objective


Although Alexis Mac Allister is a lot for Liverpool, most people would not consider him an aerial threat. But when needed, he can score a headed goal, and Courtois was overpowered by his opening.

Last season, Liverpool's midfield trio of Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, and Ryan Gravenberch performed admirably, but this season, none of them has been able to play together. It is easy to overlook how well they complement one another until they remind you of how perfectly natural it may be.

We might have also witnessed a few more consistent scorers score on a different day. You could claim that this Liverpool team has a lot of strategies for frustrating opposing goalkeepers.

Did Vini Jr. have a fortunate escape?


Vinicius Jr. got into a confrontation with Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley inside the home area after receiving a yellow card early on. Some members of the home fans wanted the Brazil star to be booked for another dive after his dramatic downfall, but they were denied their demand.

It appeared like he could discipline them following the break on the eve of halftime. In the channels, he made good contact with Jude Bellingham, but Giorgi Mamardashvili held firm to block the England player's low, determined attempt.

The kind of greeting Trent Alexander-Arnold might get at the stadium he formerly called home was a topic of conjecture before kickoff. Conor Bradley's treatment of Madrid's left winger may have been the greater story for a good number of supporters, but Alexander-Arnold did earn some jeers when he finally arrived, so the home crowd had an obvious pantomime villain to target while he sat on the bench.

Wirtz's moments of excellence


After letting Florian Wirtz take a break from the limelight in recent weeks, Arne Slot endorsed the playmaker right away. Maybe he believed that Xabi Alonso's presence alone would be sufficient to help the German regain his Bayer Leverkusen form.

It appeared that Slot would be rewarded just before the half-hour mark. Thibaut Courtois, the goalkeeper for Madrid, made a superb save to deny Wirtz after he had cleverly moved down the right to find space and then rolled the ball across for Dominik Szoboszlai.

We are still awaiting a string of performances from the £116 million player to make the investment worthwhile. Even if this was not quite the moment he made his whole announcement, as some had imagined, he is still displaying more.

ARSENAL POCKET INSANE £125.18M FOLLOWING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL QUALIFICATION

Mikel Arteta's side has added £15.97m to their cash reserves, eclipsing the total earned by current champions PSG last year.

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Arsenal Bag Extra £15.9m Prize Money After Historic Champions League Semifinal - Photo Credit: PA

Arsenal have added another £15.97 million to their UEFA prize money haul after securing a spot in the Champions League final with a win against Atletico Madrid. They are set to face either Bayern Munich or the current champions, Paris Saint-Germain, in Budapest on May 30, aiming for their first-ever triumph in this prestigious competition.

Beyond that, there’s an additional £5.61 million up for grabs in Hungary later this month. But up to now, Arsenal have amassed an eye-watering £125.18 million in Champions League prize money this season alone. A place in next season’s European Super Cup also carries a potential reward of around £3.45 million. It’s been a remarkable European run under Mikel Arteta, with the team dominating the group stage by winning all eight matches.

From the very beginning, the club benefited from the initial distribution of TV revenue and the rankings pool, which together amounted to £49.6 million. Even before the knockout rounds kicked off, Arsenal had already secured £85.3 million in prize money.

That total doesn’t even cover the bonuses linked to their on-field success, as each of their eight victories in the group stage brought in roughly £15.8 million altogether.

By finishing first out of 36 group-phase clubs, Arsenal earned an extra £8.6 million, and progressing straight to the round of 16 as one of the top eight teams secured them another £11.3 million.

They continued their strong run by eliminating Bayer Leverkusen after a 1-1 draw away and a 2-0 win at the Emirates, which added £10.8 million more to their earnings.

Overcoming Sporting CP in the quarter-finals also brought a £10.8 million bonus. While Arsenal’s motivation isn’t just financial, this level of income certainly aids in meeting profit and sustainability rules and other financial fair play criteria.

It’s also likely to support their summer transfer budget, as sporting director Andrea Berta looks to build on Arteta’s squad.

Last season, Arsenal took home £98.63 million after reaching the semi-finals before falling to PSG.

PSG, who went on to win the title, collected about £124.62 million last year, so Arsenal have now already surpassed that figure.

Meanwhile, UEFA has set aside a record £2.13 billion in prize money for the 2025-26 Champions League season, highlighting the competition’s growing financial stakes.

JAN OBLAK CONFESSES ATLETICO WERE "AFRAID TO PLAY" AGAINST ARSENAL

Following their Champions League exit, skipper Jan Oblak analysed where Atletico went wrong and paid tribute to Griezmann.

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Oblak Demands Mentality Shift At Atletico After Crashing Out To Arsenal - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Jan Oblak didn’t hold back after Atletico Madrid crashed out of the Champions League against Arsenal. He said straight up that the team just didn’t do enough to earn a spot in the final. Sure, he’s proud of how far the squad has come recently, but the way they went out still stings.

Oblak was pretty open about where things went wrong, especially after the first leg, when Atletico failed to take an advantage back to London. “I'm disappointed, just like all the fans. Honestly, I can’t find the words. We didn’t do enough to be in the final, and it’s just a tough moment. We had our chances to win, but we didn’t take them. All that’s left is to congratulate Arsenal.”

He didn’t stop there, either. Speaking to CBS Golazo, Oblak was even more direct about the team’s mentality, especially in the first half of both matches. He felt Atletico were hesitant, too respectful of Arsenal, and afraid to play. Both times, they fell behind before halftime and then tried to play catch-up, but it was always a little too late. “This has happened several times this season,” Oblak said, “and while we’ve managed to win those games before, not today when it mattered most.”

On the flip side, Oblak did give some credit to the young players and the growth the team’s shown, especially after a couple of big summers that saw a huge part of the squad change. “The last two seasons, we’ve switched out something like 15 players. A lot of young guys with not much experience came in. They did great in the cup, and they’ve held up in the Champions League too. In the league, we weren’t good enough for the biggest matches, but I’m proud of how the younger ones are growing. Still, when the goal is to win a title, and you don’t, you can’t call it a success. All we can do is look forward and hope we’ll be fighting for trophies next season.”

Saying goodbye to Antoine Griezmann made this exit even sadder for Oblak and the rest of the squad. Griezmann’s heading to Orlando City this summer, bringing the curtain down on his Champions League career with Atletico. “Everyone’s going to miss Griezi; he’s an incredible player and a great guy. The kind of person who’s always smiling, always positive, and does things on the pitch nobody else can. We’ll miss him a lot; the fans will miss him, but he deserves nothing but the best wherever he goes.”

At 33, Oblak is one of Atletico’s true leaders, right behind Koke for the captain’s armband. Alongside Jose Maria Gimenez and Marcos Llorente, he’s been a

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