Real Madrid cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals after the holders’ five-star display at Anfield meant a low-key 1-0 win at the Bernabeu was enough to knock Liverpool out of the competition emphatically.
The Merseysiders have produced heroic comebacks in the past, but it was never on the cards here as Karim Benzema netted the only goal of the game 12 minutes from time to secure a 6-2 victory on aggregate for Carlo Ancelotti’s Spanish champions.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp had spoken about a one per cent chance coming into the second leg in Spain and it looked like he was going for it by naming four forwards in his starting line-up.
However, it was Real who had the better of the opening half with Alisson producing a miraculous point-blank save to deny Vinicius Jr before the goalkeeper’s fingertips flicked Eduardo Camavinga’s curling shot on to the crossbar.
Real had the more clear-cut chances in a tepid second period with Federico Valverde and Benzema wasting clear sights of goal before the latter finally broke the deadlock with a scruffy tap-in.
Liverpool offered little as an attacking threat but were much more secure than at Anfield and will rue falling apart after storming into a 2-0 lead early in that first leg.
Real can now look ahead to Friday’s draw for both the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the competition.
Los Blancos will then switch focus to Sunday’s El Clasico at Barcelona while Liverpool do not play until April 1 when they visit Manchester City in the Premier League.