Liverpool vs. Real Madrid: Brendan Rodgers, Carlo Ancelotti Post-Match Reaction

Real Madrid may have soundly beaten an overmatched Liverpool squad 3-0 at Anfield on Wednesday, but Brendan Rodgers insisted he was still proud of the way his players reacted to the talented Blancos.   

This Is Anfield provided these comments:

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the score with a beautiful volley after James Rodriguez delivered a perfect assist, before the lead was doubled through Karim Benzema, lofting a header well over Simon Mignolet.

The Belgian stopper made a crucial error rushing off his line on a corner and received no help from his defenders, as Benzema tapped in his second to put the final score on the board before the first half had ended.

Rodgers told reporters he believed the first goal rocked the team's concentration, leading to a swift second for the visitors:

"

BR: The first goal knocked us back a bit, we're disappointed with it then we conceded two more quite quickly. Need to defend that better.

— This Is Anfield (@thisisanfield) October 22, 2014"

He also believed the half-time score of 3-0 was harsh, per Viktor Fagerstrom:

As shared by The Madridistas, he was full of praise for the defending champions:

He reserved special praise for Ronaldo, who scored his 70th Champions League goal Wednesday, as shared by ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan:

Cameras caught Mario Balotelli swapping jerseys with Real's Pepe at the end of the first half, something the fans didn't appreciate. Per The Independent's Sam Wallace, neither did Rodgers:

He also confirmed Balotelli's substitution at half-time had nothing to do with the incident, as he was unaware of the shirt-swap until after the match.

Carlo Ancelotti (understandably) had nothing but praise for his players and explained his decision to take off Ronaldo earlier than pundits were anticipating, with an eye on Saturday's Clasico, as reported by SportYou (h/t Football Espana):

"

We defended well in the first few minutes and controlled the initial intensity of Liverpool. Then we had quality and pace. The team has a lot of maturity and confidence at the moment. Everything went well. In the end we had a lot of counter-attacks and Ronaldo had to sprint many times. The Clasico will be two teams that are in very good form. It will be a great show and I’m lucky I don’t have to pay to see it.

"

Ludogorets' shock win over FC Basel in the other Group B match means Los Blancos lead the standings with nine points, while the other three clubs have three. The Bulgarians have the advantage in goal difference, and the Reds still face trips to Ludogorets and the Bernabeu.

Liverpool have the talent to finish second, but so far, it's yet to show on the biggest stage. The young squad fought bravely Wednesday, but the defensive frailties were once again exposed, and Mignolet made another fatal error top 'keepers simply can't afford to make.

The return of Daniel Sturridge should boost this squad, however, and after the difficult trip to Madrid, Liverpool will have two opportunities to take care of business in direct confrontations with Ludogorets and Basel.

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