An extraordinary sequence of events at Anfield saw both Kylian Mbappé and Mohamed Salah both miss penalties in the second half of Liverpool’s 2–0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Kylian Mbappé stepped up first to take the away side’s penalty in the 61st minute, with Real already trailing 1–0, courtesy of Alexis Mac Allister’s opening goal for Liverpool. The Frenchman, however, did not appear confident approaching the penalty spot, and looked completely deflated after his side-footed effort was pushed away by Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
KELLEHER SAVES MBAPPE'S PENALTY ❌ pic.twitter.com/dWqmmASJ50
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 27, 2024
The roars from the home crowd which greeted Kelleher grew even louder when Liverpool were awarded a penalty moments later once Ferland Mendy conceded a penalty, bringing down Salah following some fabulous footwork from the Egyptian.
However, the 32-year-old forward, whose post-match comments on Sunday generated significant debate within the media, proceeded to surprisingly miss the target with his penalty, firing the ball onto the outside left post, to the astonishment of all the supporters at Anfield.
Fortunately for Salah, his Liverpool side were still able to secure all three points by the end of the night, as Cody Gakpo’s towering header in the 76th minute secured a 2–0 win for the Reds.
This result for Liverpool marked their first Champions League triumph over Real Madrid for the first time in eight matches spanning 15 years. It also continues their perfect record in the competition this campaign having won all five of their Champions League matches so far, which keeps them at the top of the league phase rankings.
MO SALAH MISSES FROM THE PENALTY SPOT 😳 pic.twitter.com/xnPIacPU4b
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 27, 2024
Meanwhile, Mbappé’s penalty miss this evening has meant his rocky start to life as a Galactico this season has endured another unfortunate twist. The 25-year-old has scored nine goals from 18 matches in all competitions since his summer arrival on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain but has still struggled to win over all his critics during his first few months in the Spanish capital.
As for his Real Madrid team, the reigning European champion is now in a precarious position in the Champions League rankings for the league phase, sitting in 24th just above the elimination places with the defeat serving as a third loss from its five matches in the competition this season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah Both Miss Penalties in Chaotic Champions League Clash.
