Real Madrid come from two down to earn stunning 5-2 win at Liverpool
Holders Real Madrid produced a stunning comeback from two goals down to earn a devastating 5-2 victory at a shell-shocked Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.
Two goals each from Vinicius Jr. and Karim Benzema turned what had looked like being an unpleasant evening for Real into a stylish romp that left Juergen Klopp's side flat on the canvas and facing a monumental task to reach the quarter finals.
It was Liverpool's heaviest home defeat in Champions League history, eclipsing a 3-0 loss to the same opponents in 2014.
In a re-run of last year's final, the first half was played at a ferocious pace, with the hosts racing into a fourth-minute lead through a superb Darwin Nunez flick -- the quickest goal Liverpool have ever scored at Anfield in the Champions League.
The stadium erupted 10 minutes later when an horrendous miscontrol from Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois let Mohamed Salah in for the second, with the Egyptian now Liverpool's all time top goalscorer in European competition.
Yet just as they did on several occasions en route to their 14th European Cup crown last season, Real quickly turned things around, with Vinicius scoring one sublime strike and one fluke goal after another goalkeeping mistake to level the match by halftime.
A bullet Eder Militao header completed the turnaround for Real early in the second half, sapping all the life out of Anfield in the process.
The hosts' misery was not done there, however, as Benzema's double ensured Liverpool shipped five goals at home for only the third time this century in all competitions.
"It's an important night for us, we showed personality and scored the goals we needed. We want this Champions League title," Benzema told Movistar Plus.
"We struggled in the beginning, they started well, better than us, it was a big game. But we managed to turn things around. We are in a good position but football is tricky and we have to close the deal at home."
Klopp said in the run-up to the match that he had been unable to rewatch last season's final, which Real won 1-0, until this weekend, insisting doing so was torture, reliving how Liverpool had their chances to claim victiory in the Paris showpiece.
Fourteen minutes in at Anfield and some form of redemption seemed to be on the cards for the Liverpool manager.
First, Nunez darted onto Salah's pinpoint pass and flicked the ball through his legs into the net, before the Egyptian's record-breaking goal, from a mistake by Courtois, who was man of the match in the Paris final, made it two.
A player of Vinicius's ability only needs one chance and a superb slotted finish from the edge of the penalty area started the comeback, before Alisson fired the ball at the Brazilian, with the rebound bouncing into the unguarded net.
The second half was a lesson in how to kill a game, and potentially the tie, from Real, who did not give Liverpool an inch and took their chances clinically.
Militao's superb header from Luka Modric's corner was unstoppable, but there was more than an element of fortune about the fourth as Joe Gomez deflected Benzema's effort over the stranded Alisson.
Benzema's second was expertly put away on the counter, as the Real striker coolly took his time to find the net and finish the hosts off. The Frenchman has scored six goals against Liverpool in the Champions League, more than any other player.
"It's hard to sum it up straight after the game," Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson told BT Sport.
"Mixed feelings. Frustration with the result. For large parts of the first half we performed well and were unlucky to be level at halftime. We made too many mistakes. Real Madrid punished us every time tonight."
Osimhen, Di Lorenzo on target as Napoli power past 10-man Frankfurt
Goals from Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo gave dominant Napoli a comfortable 2-0 victory at 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday.
Napoli, bidding to reach their first quarter-final in the competition, went ahead when in-form Nigeria striker Osimhen, who has now scored 10 goals in his last nine games across all competitions, tapped in at the far post after 40 minutes. Frankfurt were reduced to 10 men just before the hour and Napoli captain Di Lorenzo soon doubled the visitors' advantage in the 65th from a superb backheel assist by the tricky Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who made amends for his first half penalty miss.
"I am happy with the performance," Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti said. "From the start the team played with character, took control of the game and did what we wanted to do.
"We probably had the chance to score an extra goal that could have been useful for us. I still think it is 50-50 for qualification, because there is still a game to be played.
"We need the utmost humility because when you face a team convinced you have an advantage you can then end up dealing with unexpected situations. Arrogance is the biggest enemy."
Error-prone Frankfurt had Randal Kolo Muani red-carded for a foul in the 58th minute and were no match for the Italians who were sharper from the start and hit the post in the 34th through Hirving Lozano.
They earned a penalty immediately after as Frankfurt's Aurelio Buta kicked Osimhen in his effort to clear the ball.
Georgia forward Kvaratskhelia, who with Osimhen has a combined total of 32 goals in all competitions this season for the Serie A leaders, failed to beat Kevin Trapp from the spot.
Osimhen did it much better only five minutes later after Mexican Lozano, who wreaked havoc down the right with his darting runs, whipped in another low cross to the far post for the Nigerian to bundle home.
Osimhen put the ball in the net again in an almost identical move a minute later but his effort was ruled out for offside.
Close-season signing Kvaratskhelia had a golden chance to double the lead in the 57th but again did not manage to beat Trapp in a one-on-one after another Lozano through ball.
The turning point for Frankfurt came a minute later when their top scorer Kolo Muani got his marching orders for a clumsy challenge on Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.
Napoli's pressure grew and they were rewarded when Kvaratskhelia picked up the ball in the box and backheeled it for Di Lorenzo to curl a shot into the far bottom corner.
"We still have a second leg to play," said Frankfurt midfielder Mario Goetze. "They scored two goals here, why should we not do that as well? We know everything is still possible."
