Ian Doyle with the main talking point after Liverpool beat Real Madrid in the Champions League 1-0 at Anfield on Tuesday evening
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Real Madrid looks dejected after the defeat to his former club Liverpool (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
The discourse after this fixture was always going to be about the right-back. And as the Liverpool supporters made their way gleefully home, so it proved.
But it wasn’t the name of Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose first return to Anfield after joining Real Madrid in the summer had threatened to turn the game into mere afterthought, on the lips of Reds fans.
Instead, another stellar performance from Conor Bradley against the Spanish side highlighted why there is such belief the 22-year-old, albeit a very different kind of player, can fill the sizeable shoes left by Alexander-Arnold.
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In doing so, Bradley also responded to the challenge of Arne Slot by going again, remarkably the first time since the win over Real Madrid almost 12 months ago he had started two club games inside four days.
The Northern Irishman was excellent here. Faced with the onerous ask of keeping Vinicius Jnr in check, Bradley relished the moment, his confidence evident in the 15th minute when, having beaten the winger to a header, his good footwork lost first Jude Bellingham then Kylian Mbappe.
The Kop loved it. And there was more to follow, not least at the start of the second half when Bradley restarted with two strong wins against Vinicius Jnr who began to shirk as a consequence. Indeed, the Brazilian had earlier been booked for hauling down the marauding Liverpool man.
Alexander-Arnold had been given a round of boos from those home fans already inside Anfield when warming up before kick-off, and there was a similar response when it became clear he was about to be introduced with nine minutes remaining by Real boss Xabi Alonso.
The cacophony on his arrival was deafening. But when a few minutes later Bradley strong-armed Vinicius Jnr out of play to earn a goal kick, the cheers were almost as loud as those that greeted Alexis Mac Allister’s 61st-minute header that ultimately won the game.
And while there were jeers and whistles for every Alexander-Arnold touch, the home fans made a point of chanting Bradley’s name and concentrating their energies on supporting their team.
Apt, then, that the game effectively ended with Bradley leaving Vinicius Jnr in a heap on the floor as the Liverpool man ushered out a mishit Alexander-Arnold cross to another raucous reception.
Last season, Bradley was forced to limp off towards the end of the win over Real Madrid with a hamstring problem that saw him sidelined until the New Year.
This time he was the first Liverpool player to approach the Kop after the final whistle to savour the acclaim. How had he deserved it – and for Alexander-Arnold, there were more jeers as he departed down the tunnel.
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