Real Madrid overturned a 0-2 deficit against Liverpool to win 5-2 at Anfield on Tuesday night in the first leg of the Champions League final.
Liverpool advanced with the goals of Darwin Nunez (s 4) and Mohamed Salah (s 14), but Real Madrid rose quickly, and scored a quintet signed by Vinicius Junior (s 21 and 36) and Eder Militão (s 47) Kremes Benzema (s 55 and 67).
The second leg between the two teams will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu on March 15.
Liverpool began the game attacking fiercely, scoring an early goal in the fourth minute, when Salah passed a cross in front of the Liverpool goal, followed by Nunez with a beautiful technical movement with the heel of the foot, inside the net of Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Liverpool came close to scoring the second goal in the 12th minute, when Dutch striker Cody Jakbo received the ball, before passing it to Salah, who stormed the penalty area, before shooting a creeping ball away from the goal.
Courtois made a fatal mistake in the fourteenth minute, when he dragged his feet in dealing with the ball returning to him, losing his balance, to overcome Salah lapse, and add the second goal for the hosts in the 14th minute.
Real Madrid were quick to close the deficit in the 21st minute, when Karim Benzema passed the ball to Vinicius, who got rid of Liverpool midfielder Fabinho, before firing towards the far post.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson got the ball from the right side, to pass inside the penalty area to Salah, who tried to shoot despite the harassment of defender Antonio Rudiger, to reach Nunez, who in turn, tried to follow it into the net, but Real Madrid defender Eder Milito cleared it from the goal line in the 25th minute.
The injury forced Real Madrid full-back David Alaba off the pitch, to be replaced by Nacho Fernandez, and a corner kick caused a dribble in the Liverpool penalty area, to reach the ball to Vinicius, who shot with his right foot next to the far post in the 31st minute.
Courtois' way, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker naively handled the ball, distracting it without concentration, and the ball hit Vinicius' foot, before continuing its way into the home team's goal in the 36th minute.
The referee awarded a free kick in favor of Liverpool, carried out by Trent Alexander-Arnold over the wall skin, to be caught by Courtois, who in turn sent the ball to Vinicius, who quickly launched it into the left wing, before passing in front of goal towards his compatriot Rodrigo, but Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson cleared the ball in time, in time with the bulk of the injury of the first half.
Real Madrid took the lead in the 47th minute, when Croatian Luka Modric took a free kick from the left, followed by Militão uncontrolled, strong into the net.
Liverpool barely woke up from the shock of the third goal, until they conceded the fourth goal in the 55th minute, when Benzema elegantly exchanged the ball with Rodrigo, before firing a low shot, which bounced off the foot of defender Joe Gomez, and deceived goalkeeper Alisson.
Rudiger fired a long-range shot that flew past the post in the 63rd minute, before Liverpool made a double substitution, through which Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino entered in place of Nunez and Jakpo.
Liverpool midfielder Stefan Paycić tried his luck with a long-range shot that went wide of goal in the 65th minute, and two minutes later, Real Madrid launched a counter-attack, with Vinicius firing the ball before passing to Benzema, who dribbled past the goalkeeper before shooting into the net and adding the fifth goal.
Liverpool looked somewhat resigned after the fifth goal, despite James Milner and Joel Matip replacing Henderson and Gomes.
Dani Ceballos was included in the Real Madrid squad in place of Rodrygo, then Benzema and Modric walked off the pitch to the applause of the away crowd, only to replace Marco Asensio and Toni Kroos in the final four minutes.