It is not the most brilliant Real Madrid in recent years, but it has the merit of having already taken a good option in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Winners of Liverpool (3-1) Tuesday night, the Spaniards put the English under pressure from the first round of their double confrontation.
And can continue to hope to offer a fourth Champions League in five appearances as a coach to their coach Zinedine Zidane.
In the game of defensive absences, it was Liverpool who lost.
If Real Madrid were deprived of their Ramos-Varane hinge, one injured and the other positive for Covid-19, for this remake of the 2018 final of the event, and relied on the Militoã-Nacho tandem this Tuesday evening, the Reds have aligned a much more rickety hinge.
Without Van Dijk, Matip and Gomez, long-injured injuries, Jürgen Klopp was forced to bet on the Philipps-Kabak duo, far from the score at this level.
And when, in the opposite camp, Toni Kroos decides to treat, it becomes difficult for a defense not settled.
In the wake of a first half hour dominated by his partners, it is a superb opening of the right foot of the German, thirty meters in front of his goal, that came the opening of the Real score ( 1-0, 27th).
In the end, Vinicius Junior, the man of this quarter-final first leg.
The force of habit
Madrid's first scorer, the intermittent Brazilian attacking midfielder launched his team towards a potential semi-final.
It was again him, in the second half, whose double (3-1, 65th) sank Liverpool's hopes of a draw.
The Reds, reinvigorated by the reduction of the gap signed Mohamed Salah (2-1, 51st), then pushed to try to bring back a happy draw for Madrid after a failed first period.
Because with zero shooting in the first act and with the attitude of a team overwhelmed by the intensity of this level of competition, Liverpool has missed its subject for too long.
And the task was complicated, like this delivery of the head completely missed by Trent Alexander-Arnold, which allowed Marcos Asensio to double the bet (2-0, 36th).
In short, the Reds have work in a week at Anfield if they want to see the semi-finals.
Going back to a 3-1 loss?
Largely possible with their offensive arguments.
Provided that the defense is a solidity to prevent Real from stopping the remountada operation.
Because, without being grandiose, Karim Benzema - who should have obtained a penalty in the first act - and his partners are serious, diligent, and know how to take advantage of the opponent's weak times.
That may not be enough to win the Champions League.
But, with the addition of force of habit, it will make them difficult to jostle in England.
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