Champions League: Vinicius, Benzema Scores As Real Madrid Thrash Liverpool 5-2

Real Madrid recovered from 2-0 down to beat Liverpool 5-2 in the first leg of their last 16 tie at Anfield on Tuesday.

Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah had given the hosts a perfect start in a repeat of last season’s Champions League final.

But Vinicius bagged two goals to level by half-time and, after Eder Militao had given Carlo Ancelotti’s men the lead, Benzema’s double put the holders well on the way to the quarter-finals.

Madrid’s 1-0 victory when the sides met in Paris last May was overshadowed by chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France that put the lives of supporters at risk.

An independent report into the organizational failings published last week found UEFA to bear “primary responsibility” for failures which “almost led to disaster”.

To rub salt into the wounds of supporters, UEFA had initially tried to pin the blame on fans for arriving late despite tens of thousands having been held for hours outside the stadium.

The Liverpool support responded by drowning out the Champions League anthem with a chorus of boos, while a series of banners in the Kop stand took aim at UEFA and the French authorities.

Once the action got underway, the players produced the spectacle expected of a clash between two clubs with a combined 20 European Cups.

Liverpool has suffered a huge hangover from missing out on both the Premier League and Champions League by the finest of margins last season.

Jurgen Klopp’s men sit eighth in the Premier League but briefly turned back the clock to explode out of the blocks.

Nunez produced a magical finish to flick home Salah’s pass inside four minutes.

Thibaut Courtois broke Liverpool’s hearts in Paris with a string of stunning saves that earned the Belgian man-of-the-match.

Madrid overcame two-goal deficits to Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City on their road to a 14th European Cup last season and was forced to do so again by their normally solid goalkeeper.