Arne Slot’s Liverpool restart has delivered its latest dividend. His team continues to boast the only 100% record in the Champions League group stages and this wasn’t just a win, it was a blow to the holders, a statement of intent.

Real Madrid have hurt Liverpool more than any other opponent in Europe. They have had their hopes dashed in four of the previous seven seasons – most painfully in the 2018 and 2023 finals.

This was a night where Liverpool asserted themselves and banished a few demons in the process. There were star changes everywhere, but especially from Conor Bradley at right-back. He took on Kylian Mbappe and not only barely kicked him, he also found the time to get forward in the second half when he found Alexis Mac Allister for the opening goal. He received a huge ovation when he was forced to leave near the end after feeling something in his back leg.

Madrid were a pale imitation of their best selves, and Mbappe wasn’t the only player missing. He was the most high-profile, especially as he saw a penalty that would have given his side a lifeline at 1-0 saved by Caoimhín Kelleher. Mohamed Salah would miss one shortly afterwards at the other end for Liverpool, which he himself won after keeping Ferland Mendy in knots. Salah’s kick went wide.

There would be no bizarre comeback of the sort in which Madrid specialize, with Liverpool substitute Cody Gakpo rising to bury a header after Andy Robertson had scored a short corner with the excellent Curtis Jones. With three defeats out of five in the competition, Madrid is in trouble.

Recent history was part of it, Liverpool felt it. Not in a revenge way – it was a group stage draw, that couldn’t happen. But I just felt it, all that sadness, especially when glory was so close.

When Madrid were last here, in the first leg of the last 16, two seasons ago, Vinícius Júnior had scored twice for a 5-2 victory that allowed his club to progress. He did not travel on this occasion – as one of a handful of injured Madrid players – which could be a relief for Liverpool given the routine with which he has tormented them. He was a miss for his team.

Liverpool had key players out, others were only fit enough for the bench, such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, but they were purely focused on who was available and what task they faced.

No Vinícius meant Kylian Mbappé on the left – a rare treat for him – and it was Jude Bellingham behind him on the left of Madrid’s three midfielders, even though he had the license to drift into central areas. Mbappe heard boos from the start and Liverpool almost punished him as he lamented his first involvement with the ball.

Mbappé wanted to freeze the play, to prepare for something, but he was unceremoniously robbed by Mohamed Salah, who sent Darwin Núñez away. Thibaut Courtois was able to push Núñez’s shot away, but it came from Raúl Asencio and trickled towards goal. Asencio reached out to break the line. The spot would follow Mbappé; ditto Bellingham, who played with a heavy band around his left leg.

It was a niggling affair, the confrontations flared up, first between Núñez and Asencio, then a little jostling escalated into big pushes from each player. Both were booked. When Mbappe tried to show off his twinkling toes in the 17th minute, Virgil van Dijk stepped up to leave something on him. Call it a marker, followed by a gesture for Mbappé to get up. Ryan Gravenberch was shown a yellow card for questioning the free kick decision.

It was a night where the Anfield crowd shouted for their players to win the one-on-one – and saw them do it. Their greater physicality provided the platform for their threat in the first half, with the moment summing it up and producing the biggest roar when Arda Güler released Mbappé. Bradley came along to clean it up with the perfect slide tackle, the timing impeccable, aggression at the forefront.

Liverpool had every opportunity before the break, with Courtois pulling off a big save in the 23rd minute as Ferland Mendy got a foot on Curtis Jones and broke the ball towards Núñez. The goalkeeper is a colossal appearance. He made himself even bigger at close range to block. Luis Díaz had taken two early shooting chances. Towards the end of the first period, Mac Allister tapped balls over the top for first Núñez and then Díaz. On the first header, Núñez’s header rolled inches wide of the far post.

It was possible to fear that Liverpool would regret their inability to make their first-half dominance count. This was Madrid, right? The masters of fighting back from the edge. And Mbappé couldn’t remain so ineffective, could he? Wouldn’t he keep encountering red shirts?

The fear seemed to float away when Mac Allister scored. It was already coming, Liverpool immediately took the lead again after the restart. What was most striking was how Bradley pushed high from right back into an inside striker position.

Bradley had a golden opportunity to make it 1-0 when he ghosted into the area unmarked, after which Courtois jumped to the right and saved. But it was quickly forgotten when Bradley brought in Mac Allister for the breakthrough. Jones was involved at the start of the move and Mac Allister finished by taking a touch away from goal and then curling a low shot back into the far corner. Jones enjoyed the ball, as did all his teammates, and Mac Allister almost scored again, with a shot just wide of the target.

Madrid’s penalty was heavy against the flow of the game, Andy Robertson guilty of overcommitment, substitute Lucas Vásquez saw it coming, felt the light contact and went to the ground. So Madrid would come back? Wrong. Kelleher’s save was a showstopper.