Anfield is a notoriously difficult stadium for opposition teams to play at. However, Real Madrid arrived and played Liverpool off the park in one of the most daring comebacks this ground has ever seen.
This historic victory would not have been possible without Carlo Ancelotti's brave — and borderline cocky — tactical decisions. Overall, he set his team up to play guns-blazing, attacking football and caught Liverpool off guard.
Here are the three boldest calls Carletto made.
Playing Valverde and Rodrygo together
It would have been so much safer to put Valverde on the right-hand side of attack and let the in-form Ceballos start. This would have given Madrid much more balance, helping them contain Robertson and Nunez on Liverpool's left wing.
Ancelotti came up with a different idea: play Valverde as right-central midfield and Rodrygo at right forward. This approach worked last season but has been discarded this term due to Fede looking more comfortable out wide.
This decision bore fruit as Madrid had more attacking options; their attacks became more direct than if Ceballos was involved. It came at the cost of some defensive vulnerability but the gamble paid off.
Putting Nacho up against Salah
Playing a 33-year-old veteran defender who has never been particularly known for his pace against Mo Salah never sounds like a good idea.
On paper, the decision to replace the injured Alaba with Nacho in the 27th minute and let the 33-year-old take the Austrian's position on the left side of defence looked like a recipe for a disaster, especially after Salah already had a goal and an assist to his name.
Yet it worked brilliantly. Nacho used his experience and intelligence to completely shut down the Salah threat on the left.
In contrast to Alaba, who likes to venture forward, the 33-year-old sat back in what looked like more of a traditional left-back role — and Salah simply didn't have the space required to use his pace against the veteran Spaniard.
Keeping trust in Camavinga
The 27th-minute substitution that saw Nacho come on for Alaba had a big impact on Eduardo Camavinga. Used in a holding midfielder position, the Frenchman struggled in the opening half-hour, often misplacing the passes under pressure.
It would have made much more sense to put Camavinga at left-back and replace the injured Alaba with Kroos or Ceballos. But Ancelotti kept faith in the young Frenchman and was rewarded with a brilliant performance.
After the Nacho substitution, Camavinga was a man possessed, winning more balls than the entire Liverpool midfield. He also supplied a lot of balls to Modric and forwards, basically being the key man as Madrid dealt with Liverpool's press with quick passes and sharp movement.
