Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso says Liverpool’s strength in set pieces proved decisive in their 1 0 Champions League victory on Tuesday night.
Alexis Mac Allister scored the only goal in the first half, heading in a free kick past Thibaut Courtois. Speaking after the match, Alonso acknowledged his team’s difficulty defending dead ball situations and noted that Liverpool capitalised on those weaknesses.
“Set pieces are what we concede the most goals from” Alonso said. “I think it could have been avoided today. They pressed us a lot.”
He added “They have skilled forwards in executing set pieces and finishing them. They created a lot of chances because we made a lot of mistakes.”
The loss marks Madrid’s first defeat of the Champions League campaign after winning their opening three matches.
