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Conor Bradley was driven by the full force of the home crowd's love, whereas Trent Alexander-Arnold – the Scouser who moved on from Anfield – was given a brutal and unwelcome reception of his fall from grace.

The young defender was marked as the natural successor from the moment the transfer was finalized to leave Liverpool for Real Madrid, when destiny brought the two European superpowers face-to-face in Europe, all was ready.

And what a contrast when the young full-back was the shining symbol during the Reds' showing which reminded everyone of their championship form as Real Madrid were swept aside.

Alexander-Arnold, who started on the bench, throughout faced an unmistakable indication of the crowd that used to celebrate his former iconic role now regard him.

The occasion proved filled with persistent hostility aimed in Alexander-Arnold's direction, starting with his public artwork damaged displaying critical phrases ahead of the match plus the crowd's rage caused by behavior which 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 Vinicius Jr to a passenger, limited to dramatic actions – unconvincing antics – confronting Bradley's commanding presence.

Every Bradley tackle drew loud applause, each distribution met with crowd support, supporters singing enthusiastically, both for his display plus an audible message for Alexander-Arnold that there was a new kid in town, confirming he was now from a previous era.

Naturally, the defender, garnered praise of head coach Arne Slot.

Conor Bradley was outstanding, he said. Facing Vinicius so many times one against one tests any defender, yet he excelled.

Had the graffiti displayed on Trent's public artwork did not make him aware regarding the coming hostility, there was unmistakable evidence during his warm-up alongside the visiting team's reserves before kick-off, negative reactions filling the air, the negative reception occurring once more during was read out.

And just when it looked he would miss the full-scale vitriol, the visiting team's manager sent him in as a second-half change during their comeback effort the Reds' margin, deservedly given to them the midfielder's aerial finish early in the second half.

Reaction to Trent's entrance was savage, as were the mocking jeers following a poor delivery that floated without purpose out of play.

The defender's brief, negative showing was played out to the sound supporters recalling players who remained faithful through potential moves to depart Liverpool, particularly ex-skipper Gerrard, observing from the seats.

This match showcased Liverpool, Conor's moment – the sort of night Anfield revels in as the presence of their former star became extra fuel to turn up the volume.

The team, earlier inconsistent following poor results until their recent victory last weekend, delivered a display that was easily their best this season, an important demonstration of the standard that helped them secure the trophy.

The coach enjoyed the comeback to winning ways, saying: Winning matches proves more enjoyable compared to defeats for a coach. Defeats consume your complete attention as you intensely desire to improve the situation, while also striving to stay consistent and character amid victories.

It was only the shadow from the exceptional goalkeeper Courtois who nearly denied the Reds the justified outcome, through an outstanding personal display which recalled previous encounters of how he defied them when Jurgen Klopp's team lost the European showpiece in the French capital.

The goalkeeper delivered multiple outstanding stops, preventing goals from the midfielder and a remarkable reflex stop from Virgil van Dijk's header, until eventually he couldn't prevent by the Argentine's aerial finish after the midfielder's delivery.

The slim winning difference barely represents their complete control throughout, this significant victory pushing them into sixth place in the tournament ranking, a position that should secure direct qualification without the need to resort to a play-off if maintained.

The midfield duo dominated the engine room, while Florian Wirtz provided creative flourishes during his German career. Ekitike posed continuous threats during the game.

Liverpool were, unlike so often recent performances, extremely solid in defense while Mbappe became ineffective, showing poorly with multiple errors. Vinicius was outperformed by the defender early on.

If it was a miserable night for the defender, conditions remained unfavorable for Jude Bellingham, offered the Anfield stage to deliver a reminder his quality before England head coach selects his roster for the upcoming internationals after excluding him last time.

Bellingham created a single threat in the first half when he forced Giorgi Mamardashvili to make a leg stop, but offered little else {as Real failed to establish|