Heading for GLORY

THE cold, soulless facts will say Liverpool are now up to sixth in the group stage of the Champions League after this 1-0 win over Real Madrid.

- By PAUL GORST at Anfield

The reality, however, is that another triumph over the 15-time champions of Europe at Anfield might just have finally given liftoff to a new era under Arne Slot.

The first two-and-a-half months of this campaign have not gone exactly to the plan.

After a historic summer transfer window where close to £450m was forked out and around half of that was recouped, the glossy brochure that had Slot's Premier League champions as the all-conquering unbeatables has not quite looked like that in reality.

It's been tough, and even when games have been won, late goals have been needed too often and games have not been controlled in the manner that became so routine last year en route to league title No.20.

Six defeats in seven prior to Saturday's much-needed 2-0 win over Aston Villa was indicative of a team struggling to find their groove amid the unusually high volume of turnover in the playing staff.

But having taking an encouraging step towards the light at the end of the tunnel against Villa, Slot's side took a quantum leap here as los Blancos were dispatched from Merseyside with nothing to show for their efforts for a second Champions League season running.

The rule that forbids the same fixture being played three seasons running will be a welcome and much-needed reprieve for Madrid, one suspects.

They won't want to return to Anfield in a hurry, that much is certain.