'That was the difference': Luka Modric pinpoints what separated Liverpool from Real Madrid last night

Today at 07:15 AM

As far as Luka Modric was concerned, there was one obvious ‘difference’ between Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid and Arne Slot’s Liverpool in Wednesday’s Champions League glamour tie.

And as the post-Jurgen Klopp era goes from strength to strength at Anfield – Liverpool’s Slot machine lighting up and hitting the jackpot once again – Real Madrid never had a chance once the hosts clicked ominously into gear on Merseyside.

Now, there is a school of thought suggesting that Liverpool’s results have been a little better than their performances under the former Feyenoord boss.

Take Sunday’s 3-2 win at Southampton, for instance. Not for the first time, Liverpool rode out a storm, survived a series of scares, before their superior attacking quality secured the three points at the other end.

This, however, felt a little different. Arguably the most dominant, coherent performance of the Arne Slot era, and again the reigning European champions no less.

Now, Real Madrid have thrown in the odd group stage dud over the years. Slow starts don’t tend to prevent Los Blancos hitting their stride when the competition heats up. But, on the evidence of another ‘famous European night at Anfield’ TM, the manner in which Liverpool comfortably dispatched Kylian Mbappe and co would have sent ripples across the continent.

Luka Modric highlights ‘difference’ between Liverpool and Real Madrid

“We’re not used to losing. But this is the Champions League and we know these are tough games,” veteran playmaker Luka Modric told Real Madrid’s official website at full-time.

“There are still three left and we have to improve. I think we’ll do that. In the last two league games, we were in good form.”

Of course, the evening may have panned out differently for Real Madrid. Kylian Mbappe was denied by the ‘outstanding’ Caoimhin Kelleher from the penalty spot on the hour mark, however, only a few minutes after Alexis Mac Allister channelled his inner-Modric with a beautifully-taken opener.

The evergreen Croatian, meanwhile, feels that it was Liverpool’s superior quality in the end zones that made ‘the difference’ on the night.

“We did well in the first-half and the penalty might have changed the game,” Modric adds. “But we didn’t take advantage of it. Then, the second goal came and the game was practically lost."

"We did well in defence, we were compact and our lines were very tight. We had a lot of counterattacks, but we lacked a bit more in the final third. That was the difference."

While Salah also missed from the spot – you’d have got very long odds on both Mbappe and Salah failing to hit the target from 12 yards in the same half of football – the in-form Cody Gakpo would not be denied.

Following a lofted Andy Robertson cross late on, the Dutchman rose like he had springs in his shoes before powering home the sort of header Cristiano Ronaldo once made his trademark in the white of Real Madrid.

Arne Slot delighted as Liverpool stay top of the Champions League table

“I liked a lot what I saw. Of course, not everything. I think we controlled the first-half [while] creating a few chances. I also thought we were still a bit sloppy, so we lost the ball in very easy situations or we forced it a bit too much,” Slot said at his post-match press conference, his record in the Liverpool dugout now standing at 17 wins from 19 games.

“I said; 'Try to be even more patient, let the gaps open up instead of forcing them.' The first seven minutes after half-time, I think we had total dominance. [Real Madrid] even didn't come across the halfway line.

“I think it's always good to win a game, and especially a big game like this because you face so many quality players. For me, it would even mean more if we go into the later stages of the tournament because this is such a strange and different set-up in the Champions League that it's difficult to judge how important these wins are.

“If we arrive in the last-16 or the quarter-finals or wherever we can arrive to, and we face them again and then we are able to beat them, that would be maybe a bigger statement than this. But we are definitely happy with the win, let that be clear.”