What Xabi Alonso did at half-time against Liverpool as Anfield moment spotted

Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso was seen touching the 'This Is Anfield' sign and embracing Liverpool defender Andy Robertson before preparing to oversee the second half of Tuesday's Champions League clash.

Alonso, who played for Liverpool between 2004-09, was given a warm reception on his return to Anfield despite being stood in the opposite dugout to Arne Slot. The legendary soccer star appeared emotional on his return, touching the 'This Is Anfield' sign before walking onto the sideline just as he did for the first time 20 years ago.

Keen to make the most of his opportunity, Alonso touched the sign again during halftime and shook hands with Robertson before embracing the Liverpool defender. Alonso has returned to Anfield in charity games since departing the club, but Tuesday marked his first reunion in a competitive environment.

"It feels great," Alonso told Amazon Prime before kick-off. "It can't get much better than the Champions League at Anfield. I'm really looking forward to the game. I didn't have a chance to come back as a player but I am back as a manager."

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Although it was an emotional return for Alonso, his focus was still to beat Liverpool and earn a famous win for Leverkusen after enjoying a historic season. Leverkusen went unbeaten in Germany last season and beat Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title, but lost the Europa League final to Italian club Atalanta to miss out on the perfect year.

During the first half of Tuesday's game, Alonso did his best to calm down his players as Liverpool attempted to swarm Leverkusen and place them under major pressure. Alonso gestured to the players to relax, focusing on restarts and when they had time in possession.

Alonso was keen to ensure there were no incidents that could fire up the crowd, something he experienced the impact of during his five years in Liverpool's midfield. It worked in the first half, but Leverkusen couldn't keep Liverpool out in the second.

Luis Diaz made the breakthrough for Liverpool after 61 minutes, lifting the ball over Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky following a stunning pass from Curtis Jones. One quickly became two as Cody Gakpo headed home a whipped cross from Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool made sure of three points after Diaz scored a late double to complete his hat-trick, first scoring after Salah found him unmarked at the back post before tapping in a rebounded effort after Darwin Nunez had his shot blocked.

It wasn't the result that Alonso was hoping for, although he gave his former team the ultimate respect ahead of kick-off. "For sure, there is a moment when Anfield hits you that you need a plan, but it is more about the football and our idea," Alonso said. "Liverpool is probably the best team in Europe but for us, it's a great game.