Liverpool having a shocking record against Real Madrid over the last decade.
Since their resounding 4-0 victory over over the Spanish giants back in 2009, they have faltered on every occasion that the pair have faced off. Their record since then reads: six played, five losses, one draw.
Of course that run includes two Champions League final losses, the most recent of which came in Paris last season.
In that game, Thibaut Courtois was the hero for Real Madrid. The Belgian goalkeeper made a number of stunning saves in the decider, earning man-of-the-match honours as his side saw out a tense 1-0 victory.
He found the going a bit more difficult in the opening stages when the sides faced off on Merseyside this evening, as did his opposite number.
Both Thibaut Courtois & Alisson drop clangers at Anfield
Liverpool started the first leg of the last-16 tie in remarkable fashion, taking the lead via a flick from Darwin Nunez in the fourth minute.
Simply 𝗲𝘅𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 Darwin Núñez! 🔴✨ pic.twitter.com/quzEO12kkt
— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) February 21, 2023
They would double the lead a few minutes later, with a helping hand from the opposition goalkeeper.
Having received what looked like a routine pass, Courtois would produce a horrific touch to gift the ball to Mo Salah, who duly finished into an empty net.
COURTOIS WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! 😱
A dreadful mistake allows Salah in to make it two-nil! pic.twitter.com/DXyzEgEaiI— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) February 21, 2023
Absolutely shocking.
Of course, a goalkeeping error of this nature in this particular fixture will always draw comparisons to Loris Karius, who put in one of the all-time disastrous goalkeeping displays when they met in the 2018 Champions League final.
Loris Courtois
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) February 21, 2023
As howlers go that’s a big one from Courtois.
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) February 21, 2023
Courtois against Liverpool today pic.twitter.com/j06UuaXIGz
— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) February 21, 2023
Courtois tonight pic.twitter.com/aVyQvJhFxc
— UE 🇶🇦 (@UtdEra_) February 21, 2023
Real Madrid fans watching Courtois showing his inner Karius against Liverpool pic.twitter.com/7EOAtlrYWN
— Kojo Darko🇬🇭 (@kojodarkoo) February 21, 2023
Lord Karius watching Courtois like pic.twitter.com/hmVra8cnpk
— Tackle From Behind (@tacklefromb) February 21, 2023
As it turned out, he wasn't the only goalkeeper to pull off a Karius in the first half.
The man who replaced the German at Liverpool, Alisson Becker would produce an equally awful howler to get Real Madrid back on level terms after Vinicius Jr had halved the deficit earlier in the half.
Once again, it came on the back of a routine backpass, with the Brazilian goalkeeper going to cannon the ball off of Vinicius and into the net.
Vinicius makes it 2-2 after another goalkeeping howler! 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/1aCFrDnxS9
— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) February 21, 2023
Who would want to be a goalkeeper, eh?
SEE ALSO: An Irish Politician Is Getting Called Out For Using Weird Darwin Nunez Analogy
