A double by Vinicius Junior and an opportunistic strike by Marco Asensio powered Real Madrid to a 3-1 first-leg victory over visiting Liverpool in the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday.
The Premier League side was a step slow throughout the opening half, failing to resgister a single shot in the first 45 minutes. Meanwhile, Madrid appeared comfortable to open the game, with Vinicius netting the opener in the 27th minute before Asensio capitalized on a poor clearance by Trent Alexander-Arnold to put the home side up by two at the break.
However, Mo Salah would ensure that Liverpool wasn't completely out of the tie prior to the second leg as he scored a crucial away goal for the Reds just six minutes into the second half.
That 51st-minute Salah strike only gave the visitors a brief glimmer of hope, though, as Vinicius put a shot through Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson's legs in the 65th minute to permanently restore Madrid's two-goal advantage.
The teams reconvene April 14 for the second leg.
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