Kylian Mbappe silenced as Arne Slot makes huge Liverpool statement - 4 talking points vs Real Madrid

ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL // Arne Slot has now won 17 out of 19 matches in charge of Liverpool. But no result will make Europe stand up and take notice as much as this one: the Reds winning 2-0 against Real Madrid.

Liverpool had lost seven and drawn one of the last eight meetings between these sides, but if there was ever going to be a time for beat Real Madrid for the first time since 2009, it was this. With Carlo Ancelotti's injury troubles, missing Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Aurelien Tchouameni, and three quarters of his defense, the Italian was more limited than usual in his options.

Alexis Mac Allister and then Cody Gakpo took advantage and moved the Reds another big step closer to the knockout phase. Here are the four things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.

• Liverpool suffers Real Madrid setback as two major talents play new roles

• Jamie Carragher is right but Mohamed Salah needs to be 'selfish' amid bigger Liverpool question

Mohamed Salah surprise

Mohamed Salah said he was "more out than in" at Liverpool over the weekend. There was never any doubt whatsoever, though, that the Egyptian's commitment on the pitch would remain unwavering.

In the biggest games, he tends to stand up and be counted. That is a big reason why the banner on The Kop that implores FSG to "pay Mo his dough" will remain prescient until there is a breakthrough in negotiations.

When he received the ball and took it in his stride down the right flank in the second half, he had Ferland Mendy exactly where he wanted him. Inside the penalty area, it was no surprise that the Real Madrid left-back was forced into bringing him down. The only shock was that Salah put the resultant spot kick wide. Ultimately, it didn't matter, with the Egyptian on the winning side.

This is what you could have won

Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham were both long linked with Liverpool before they moved to Real Madrid. Whether either was ever financially viable or realistic can be debated, but their quality is obvious.

Before any of his teammates emerged, Bellingham went for a walk around the Anfield pitch wearing a smart black suit. He wandered into the middle of the field near the giant Champions League logo and waved to the smattering of fans in the away end at that point in proceedings, taking it all in.

When the match started, however, he was much less relaxed. Both Bellingham and Mbappe were kept quiet by Liverpool with Ryan Gravenberch keeping a keen eye on the former and Conor Bradley doing very well directly up against the latter.

"What I think is the big difference [between the two players is that] Bellingham is a step lower at a club and always plays," former Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart told Ziggo Sport in 2023 when the England ace was still at Borussia Dortmund. "I think Gravenberch is better than him, in every way and especially physically."

At the time, that sounded ludicrous. On this occasion, it was arguably a fair reflection.

According to Sky Sports' Melissa Reddy, Liverpool viewed Gravenberch as being a similar level of talent to Bellingham and also Aurelien Tchouameni — who was missing here for Real Madrid through injury — when it was looking for the next brilliant midfielder. Both were on the field here but Liverpool won't have regrets on this evidence.

Bellingham, clearly, is world-class.. This season, though, and again here, Gravenberch has really begun to show why he was being spoken about in that bracket. The Dutchman ensured his opposite number was essentially anonymous.

Conor Bradley silences Kylian Mbappe

On both wings, there were intriguing battles. Luis Diaz vs Federico Valverde, the makeshift Real Madrid right-back, and Mbappe vs Conor Bradley, the relatively inexperienced Liverpool right-back. Both Liverpool players came out on top.

Bradley could have scored just before he teed up Mac Allister for the opener and was superb all night. The tackle that he put in on Mbappe in the first half will live long in the memory and will only further endear him to the Anfield crowd.

If Trent Alexander-Arnold does leave, Liverpool has an able replacement. It will, of course, want to keep both. Given how good the pair are, that might not be that simple if they are both on the Reds' books for the coming few years. Scouts tend to notice when you come out on top against Mbappe.

No revenge required as huge statement sent

Liverpool, of course, lost the 2018 and 2022 finals to Real Madrid. Thibaut Courtois spoke before the game about "revenge" inevitably being on the mind's of some of those on the Liverpool side, even if Andy Robertson and Arne Slot insisted that wasn't something that crossed their minds.

Darwin Nunez's minor first-half scrap with Raul Asencio aside, it didn't look like there was a desire to seek vengeance here. Liverpool battled and stepped up its game compared to the weekend's win over Southampton. This was a match in which Slot's Liverpool was able to show that it belongs on the biggest stage.

That, after the summer departure of Jurgen Klopp, is another good sign. This was Slot's biggest statement yet. Liverpool can win the Premier League from the position it is in, but it should be looking at European glory as well. Slot's side can do composed and controlled, but it can do the more intense games with the big-hitters too.