Real Madrid Transfer News: Raheem Sterling Display Impressed Carlo Ancelotti

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he was "impressed" with Raheem Sterling's performance during Los Blancos' 3-0 Champions League victory over Liverpool on Wednesday night.

The European champions have consistently been linked with a move for the English forward across recent weeks, reported by Nick Miller of The Guardian. The 19-year-old posted an energetic 90 minutes—despite Liverpool conceding three goals before half-time—switching from the flank to a central role after the break.

Ancelotti noted the performance as a Liverpool standout, while also praising the under-fire Mario Balotelli, reported by Madrid's official website:

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I think that at the start the roles played by Sterling and Balotelli created danger for us. I really liked Sterling's play between the lines and he impressed me. After we scored three goals they became a bit frustrated and their mentality was affected. Their heads dropped a little bit.

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Jon Super/Associated Press

Sterling certainly appeared the most alert Reds threat during a difficult match for the Premier League side. Aside from Steven Gerrard, he was the only Liverpool player to have a shot on target, per WhoScored.com. Philippe Coutinho and Isco completed one more dribble than Sterling to set a match high of five, while Alberto Moreno was the only home star to execute a greater amount of key passes.

There's no doubt Sterling was often isolated, but he showed glimpses of the fleet-footed play English audiences have come to expect. Alvaro Arbeloa and Pepe often double-teamed the starlet in a bid to suffocate his pace, an occurrence which saw him unable to target the former's lack of speed in a one-on-one situation.

Only Coutinho and second-half substitute Adam Lallana scored higher than Sterling's 6/10 match performance rating for Dave Usher of ESPN FC, who raises an interesting point about his positioning:

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A difficult game for the teenager, but he kept going and was involved in most good things that Liverpool produced. Largely well shackled by Pepe and (Raphael) Varane, but given Balotelli's continuing struggles may find himself continuing in the centre-forward position until the return of Daniel Sturridge.

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Jon Super/Associated Press

Brendan Rodgers' decision to substitute Balotelli—who offered little movement aside from his decision to swap shirts with Pepe at the break—may have been an example of the manager testing the water. Sterling was pushed into more of a striker's position, a role he could occupy during the upcoming Premier League fixture with Hull.

Sterling's ability to add versatility in the final third would only increase his appeal. Madrid love to utilise forwards who interchange seamlessly—highlighted by Ronaldo and Gareth Bale—so a stellar run of performances through the middle could see potential interest in Sterling acted upon.

He romped through Manchester United in an attacking midfield role last season and is more than capable of impacting the match from anywhere; if he has the ball at his feet. Daniel Sturridge's return is likely to improve his game even further, as right now, Balotelli's inability to consistently link play is leaving Sterling with too much to do.

Jon Super/Associated Press

Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail noted this during the loss to Madrid: "He did OK, nothing special here. Real Madrid were far too good to let Sterling, or any other Liverpool player for that matter, make an impact on this game."

This point is inescapable, but it was fascinating to watch Sterling against the defending champions. Encouragingly, he worked avidly and never shied away from trying to beat his man or tracking back to help. These are excellent habits which ensure he plays on the front foot and will lead Liverpool with his tempo-increasing nature.

Such attributes up his suitability for Madrid, a subject discussed by football writer Rik Sharma and B/R UK's Ryan Bailey:

Sterling's certainly not ready to represent a team with the expectations of Madrid, but Ancelotti's comments are curious. Liverpool supporters now have public proof their gem is admired from afar, meaning speculation is only likely to increase as we head toward the transfer window.

The starlet has consistently been Liverpool's best player this season. Despite the team's lack of impressiveness against Madrid, he can be relatively pleased for putting in a fearless performance. It's in these instances—not when things are going well—that you can ultimately gauge the measure of a player, something Ancelotti will no doubt continue to do when the Bernabeu tie rolls around on Nov. 4.