Thibaut Courtois once again stood tall at Anfield, producing a string of crucial saves that kept Real Madrid in contention for much of the night.
Yet despite his heroics, the Belgian goalkeeper could not prevent a 0-1 defeat to Liverpool, a result that leaves the Spanish giants frustrated after a hard-fought contest in England.
Speaking after the match, Courtois admitted that Real Madrid were guilty of giving away too many opportunities in dangerous areas.
"It’s a shame, I tried to keep the team going, but in the second half, we committed too many fouls near the area, where they are good, and that’s how they scored the goal,” he analysed.
Courtois went on to acknowledge that, while the team’s overall play was solid, there were shortcomings in attack that cost them dearly.
"We were good with the ball, we defended well, but we lacked in the final third, where we struggled to get there and lost a lot of balls "
"We have to improve. At the end of the day, we’re at one of the most difficult grounds in the Champions League, and you can lose, even if you don’t want to "
"Now we have to beat Olympiacos away and then continue with Manchester City at home " he added.
The goalkeeper pointed to a recurring issue, which is committing unnecessary fouls on the edge of the box, as the main reason Liverpool were able to capitalise and find their winning goal.
"If we commit fouls, some are unnecessary. Other times, you have to stop a dangerous attack "
"The one that led to the goal wasn’t necessary, and I think he dived when he saw Jude’s leg "
"We needed to make cleaner passes and maintain possession in the opponent’s half. That’s where we need to improve against good teams away from home " he said.
Meanwhile, Federico Valverde, who ended the match with a muscle issue, also shared his thoughts.
The Uruguayan underlined that the team’s attitude was not the problem, though focus at key moments cost them.
"The attitude is that, in the end, there are many games and losing here could also guarantee that you remain in the top eight "
"But, well, when you wear this badge, you always have to go out there to win, to seek victory "
Valverde reiterated that it was a matter of concentration, not effort, especially in defending set-pieces – one of Liverpool’s strengths.
"It wasn’t a lack of attitude. It was a lack of concentration when it came to marking their set pieces, which we knew were very strong, that they came in with a lot of force. We had to pay much more attention "
Finally, the midfielder reserved special praise for his goalkeeper.
"We have one of the best goalkeepers in the world, if not the best. And well, in the end, this is football," he noted.