Liverpool manager Arne Slot was delighted with Conor Bradley’s display following his side’s hard-earned 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.
The right-back has faced criticism this season for his below-par displays, having struggled to fill the massive void left by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Spain.
But on Tuesday night at Anfield, he rose to the occasion, tasked with the difficult job of containing both Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.
The 22-year-old delivered a performance worthy of Alexander-Arnold’s admiration, keeping Vinicius quiet throughout the match.
He won 100% of his tackles and all eight duels against the Brazilian winger, who lost possession 19 times and failed to register a single shot on goal.
“Conor was outstanding, it was very nice”, Arne Slot echoed praises to the defender after the match.
“Last season he was outstanding against Real Madrid, but he had to go off after 80 minutes. When he played 90 minutes against Villa, he again played 90 minutes with incredible intensity against Vinicius.”
Liverpool could have headed into half-time with a comfortable cushion, but were denied by a string of superb saves by Thibaut Courtois.
They were also denied a penalty kick by VAR, after a shot from Dominik Szoboszlai hit Aurelien Tchouameni’s arm inside the area.
However, their resilience was rewarded in the 61st minute when Alexis Mac Allister rose highest to head home a delivery from Szoboszlai.
Alexander-Arnold came on later in the game to boos and jeers from the home supporters, but could not conjure any magic as his side were beaten 1-0.
“Let’s be clear, we had a very bad run of form in terms of results, no excuse in the world can make up for us losing so many games. But we had to play a lot of games in a small amount of time, there was hardly any rest”, Slot added.
“Tonight we played against a team that played on Saturday as well, so both of us had two days’ rest. It’s helpful to play a home game, because from the last eight I think we played six away from home. The balance can give you just a bit of an edge.”
Liverpool moved level on points with Real Madrid on nine points in the 36-team league phase as the battle for qualification intensifies.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
